A More Perfect Union

The New Georgia Encyclopedia is supported by funding from A More Perfect Union, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

1893 Hurricane

1893 Hurricane

Damaged homes along the beach after the 1893 hurricane hit Tybee. One of the deadliest hurricanes in American history, the storm was the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane on the modern-day Saffir-Simpson scale.

Courtesy of Georgia Historical Society, Elizabeth B. Pittman Collection on Nichols, Baker, and Mongin Families., #GHS 2536-01-07-11.

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1893 Hurricane

1893 Hurricane

Men along a flooded road after the 1893 hurricane hit Tybee. The storm devastated the barrier islands of Georgia and South Carolina, killing over 2,000 people and leaving more than 30,000 homeless.

Courtesy of Georgia Historical Society, Elizabeth B. Pittman Collection on Nichols, Baker, and Mongin Families., #GHS 2536-01-07-03.

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1893 Hurricane

1893 Hurricane

Damaged railroad tracks and homes on the beach after 1893 hurricane hit Tybee. Buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure were demolished up and down the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. 

Courtesy of Georgia Historical Society, Elizabeth B. Pittman Collection on Nichols, Baker, and Mongin Families., #GHS 2536-01-07-06.

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Battleship USS Maine

Battleship USS Maine

An explosion aboard the American battleship USS Maine in 1898 resulted in the sinking of the ship and the deaths of 266 men. The attack propelled the United States into a military conflict with Spain, which would later be known as the Spanish-American War.

From Pictorial History of Our War with Spain for Cuba's Freedom, by T. White

Camp “Onward”

Camp “Onward”

Camping in long rows of tents, soldiers from the Thirty-first Michigan Regiment were stationed at Camp "Onward" in Savannah during the Spanish-American War (1898).

Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia, #
ctm089.

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Joseph Wheeler

Joseph Wheeler

General Joseph Wheeler, born near Augusta, commanded U.S. volunteers in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Wheeler also served during the Civil War and the Philippine Insurrection, and authored several books on military and civil subjects. Wheeler County, in central Georgia, is named in his honor.

From The Conflict with Spain and Conquest of the Philippines, by H. F. Keenan

1881 International Cotton Exposition

1881 International Cotton Exposition

The 1881 International Cotton Exposition buildings in Atlanta's Oglethorpe Park consisted of a central building and several wings. The central building was devoted to textile-manufacturing displays while the wings showcased other southern products, including sugar, rice, and tobacco.

Courtesy of Atlanta History Center.

U.S. President Cleveland at 1887 Piedmont Exposition

U.S. President Cleveland at 1887 Piedmont Exposition

U.S. president Grover Cleveland (foreground) walks past the Georgia Building at the 1887 Piedmont Exposition, held in October at Atlanta's Piedmont Park. More than 50,000 visitors attended the exposition that day.

Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia, #
ful0674.

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1895 Cotton States and International Exposition

1895 Cotton States and International Exposition

Grant Williams, a civil engineer, turned Atlanta's 1887 Piedmont Exposition grounds into a larger venue to accomodate the more ambitious 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition. Williams's plan included twenty-five buildings, a lake, fountains, and statuary.

Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia, #
ful0658.

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Piedmont Exposition, 1887

Piedmont Exposition, 1887

This drawing shows the 1887 Piedmont Exposition's main building. Located in Atlanta's Piedmont Park, the structure was 570 feet long, 126 feet wide, and two stories high. The Exposition opened on October 10 to nearly 20,000 visitors.

Courtesy of Atlanta History Center.

Mexican Village Exhibition, 1895

Mexican Village Exhibition, 1895

A Mexican village display at the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition, held at Piedmont Park in Atlanta.

Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia, #ful0673.

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Shooting the Chutes, 1895

Shooting the Chutes, 1895

Shooting the chutes, an early type of water ride, on Lake Clara Meer during the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition, held at Piedmont Park in Atlanta.

Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia, #
ful0666.

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Machinery Hall Exhibition, 1895

Machinery Hall Exhibition, 1895

Exhibitions in the Machinery Hall at the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition, held in Piedmont Park in Atlanta. The Lane & Bodley Company of Cincinnati exhibit is in the foreground.

Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia, #
ful0667.

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Cotton States and International Exposition, 1895

Cotton States and International Exposition, 1895

The Cotton States and International Exposition was the last of three cotton expositions held in Atlanta during the late nineteenth century. Held in Piedmont Park, the exposition presented new technology in a variety of industries and showcased Atlanta as a regional business center.

Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia, #
ful0664.

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Cotton States and International Exposition, 1895

Cotton States and International Exposition, 1895

View of the north-end grounds and Lake Clara Meer at the 1895 Cotton States Exposition, held in Piedmont Park in Atlanta.

Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia, #ful0662.

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Crowds at 1895 Cotton Exposition

Crowds at 1895 Cotton Exposition

A crowd strolls through Piedmont Park in Atlanta at the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition. The chime tower and the U.S. government building can be seen in the background.

Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia, #
ful0676.

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