the "Chicago of the South"

the "Chicago of the South". . "The promoters of Decatur point with pride to what has been accomplished here since the first of January, 1887. No other city in the South has made so rapid and so substantial progress in the same time. The work done has ensured the future of the city, as it has been done on a firm foundation and without any mere pretense." , -Promotional brochure from the Decatur Land Improvement and Furnace Company , Organized on January 11, 1887, the leaders of the Decatur Land Improvement and Furnace Company envisioned New Decatur, later renamed Albany, as a planned industrial city and the "Chicago of the South." The river and railroad provided important transportation links and helped to attract many new industries to the Decaturs. New homes, schools, churches, and businesses were established during this boom period in which the population grew from 1,200 to 5,000 people in a one year period. , Photo captions: , Bottom left: Quality schools were vital in attracting new residents, and leaders of the land company promised "public schools as good as any in the state”. In 1889, Gordon School was named in honor of Major E.C. Gordon, the leader of the land company. Other prominent leaders of the land company were C.C. Harris and W.W. Littlejohn. Both had served during the Civil War and were involved in reestablishing banking in Decatur in the postwar era though Gordon would not remain in the area after the second yellow fever epidemic, Harris and Littlejohn remained and were active in many areas of civic life. , Bottom center: The L&N car shops grew to be one of the town's major employers. Located on Fourth Avenue and covering over 57 acres, the shops employed an average of 1,500 men. The New Decatur facility was one of three major car shops operated by the L&N and included a round house, machine shop, boiler shop, foundry, car shop, passenger car shop, paint shop, tin shop, office buildings, and store rooms. , Bottom right: Trolleys helped to connect the twin cities of Decatur and New Decatur. In 1903, the earlier mule drawn cars were replaced with modern electric streetcars. The city was serviced by four streetcar routes, and the electric car barn was located at the head of Second Avenue.