Railroad Heritage

Railroad Heritage. Business and Industry Diversify. In the early 1900s, cotton was still Athens' main economic engine, but other businesses and industries began to make a major impact., Everything from baseball to soft drinks to airplanes were produced locally. Businesses included Bludwine, Michael Brothers Retailers, Hanna Manufacturing Co., Griffith Implement Co., Coca-Cola, Athens Cycle Co., Costa's Ice Cream, and Ben Epps' garage. One aspect all these businesses had in common was their dependence on the rail system for receiving their supplies and shipping their products., (captions) , (above): 1905 Athens, GA Bludwine sign. (inset): Kids receiving bottles of Bludwine (an early rival to Coca-Cola) on Thomas St. in front of the company's factory. The name was changed to Budwine in 1920., The dawning of the 20th century was an era of progress for African -Americans in Athens. Pictured above is a 1910 post card view and medical bottle of the E.D. Harris Drugstore, Athens' first black-owned and operated drugstore. It was originally located on the ground floor of the Morton Theatre. Postcard Courtesy of Gary Doster, letterheads courtesy of Ron Evans., Ca. 1920 photo of Costa's Ice Cream factory. One of the factors contributing to the great success of the Costa family was the ice cream they sold. Originally made for their own side fountain use, it became so popular they erected a yellow brick building on Washington St. to manufacture it commercially. Joseph Costa also purchased the Budwine soft drink company in 1929. The building later housed the police department. Photo courtesy of Gary Doster., In 1907, Athens citizen Ben Epps built the first airplane in Georgia in his Washington Street garage only four years prior the Wright Brothers first flew the Kitty Hawk. For the next quarter of a century, Epps continued to design, build, and test airplanes. He continued to fly until his death in a crash in 1937.