The History of Atlanta, Texas
Atlanta is a classic East Texas railroad-and-timber town, born when the rails reached the Cass County pine forests in 1872. Named by homesick settlers for Atlanta, Georgia, it grew up on the lumber boom and became the largest town and commercial center of Cass County in the far northeast corner of the state.
Here's how Atlanta came to be.
Rails and a Georgia Name
Atlanta was established in 1872 with the building of the Texas and Pacific Railway through the timberlands of Cass County. Like so many East Texas towns, it owed its existence to the railroad, which gave local sawmills and farmers a way to ship their products to market.
The town took its name from Atlanta, Georgia — the former home of many of its early settlers, who carried the name of their old hometown to their new one in the Texas pines. Though Linden, fourteen miles to the southwest, serves as the Cass County seat, Atlanta quickly became — and remains — the county's largest town and most important economic center.
The Lumber Boom
Lumbering was Atlanta's chief industry from the start. By 1885 the community had grown to about 1,500 residents and supported churches, two schools, a bank, several sawmills, a number of general stores, and a weekly newspaper, the Citizens' Journal. The lumber boom reached its peak around 1890, when the population stood at 1,764.
The vast, heavily forested timberlands of Cass County — 937 square miles rich in pine, cypress, and hardwoods — fed the mills and shaped the town's economy and identity. Atlanta was incorporated in 1929, by which time it had about 1,900 residents and 105 businesses.
A Forest-Country Town
Through the 20th century, Atlanta settled into its role as the commercial hub of Cass County, with the forest-products industry, agriculture, and later the recreation of nearby Wright Patman Lake anchoring the local economy. Its school district, Atlanta ISD — home of the Rabbits — has long served the community.
The population reached 5,675 by 2010 before easing to 5,433 at the 2020 census. Today Atlanta remains what it has long been: a friendly, forest-country town at the center of life in eastern Cass County, proud of its railroad-and-timber roots.
Timeline
1872
Atlanta is established with the building of the Texas and Pacific Railway; it is named for Atlanta, Georgia, former home of many early settlers.
1885
The town grows to about 1,500 residents with churches, two schools, a bank, sawmills, stores, and the weekly Citizens' Journal.
1890
The lumber boom peaks, with the population reaching 1,764.
1929
Atlanta is incorporated, with about 1,900 residents and 105 businesses.
2020
Census population is 5,433, with Atlanta the largest town and commercial center of Cass County.
FAQ: History of Atlanta
Atlanta, Texas was named for Atlanta, Georgia, the former home of many of the town's early settlers. It was established in 1872 with the arrival of the Texas and Pacific Railway in the Cass County timberlands.
No. Linden, about fourteen miles to the southwest, is the Cass County seat. Atlanta is the county's largest town and most important economic center, but it is not the seat of county government.
Atlanta was built on the railroad and the lumber industry. Lumbering was its chief industry from its 1872 founding, with the boom peaking around 1890. The vast pine-and-cypress timberlands of Cass County fed the town's many sawmills.
Atlanta ISD's teams are the Rabbits — a distinctive mascot for a Texas school.
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Atlanta in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.
A Brief History of East Texas
From Caddo settlements to the oil boom and beyond, discover how centuries of history shaped East Texas communities like Tyler, Kilgore, and Henderson.
Read Guide →Best Day Trips from Tyler and East Texas
Drive-time guide to day trips from Tyler: state parks, small towns, museums, and lakes within about 30 minutes, an hour, and up to three hours.
Read Guide →East Texas Festivals and Annual Events
Season-by-season guide to East Texas festivals and events — Canton's First Monday Trade Days, the Texas Rose Festival, the Yamboree, Wonderland of Lights and more, checked against each host's own site.
Read Guide →East Texas State Parks Guide
Twelve East Texas state parks from TPWD: Tyler, Caddo Lake, Atlanta, Lake Bob Sandlin, Tawakoni, Purtis Creek, Cooper, Martin Dies Jr. and more. Camping, cabins and passes.
Read Guide →Business Owner?
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