Richard Peters and Early Atlanta History

Mar 23, 2026

A 19th century entrepreneur turns surveyor-engineer and helps rename Terminus into a growing Southern city. He builds railroads, starts transit and hospitality ventures, and shapes streets, parks, and institutions. His complicated Civil War stance and postwar land deals steer urban rebuilding and the emergence of modern Atlanta.

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INSIGHT

Peters Built Atlanta's Institutional Backbone

Richard Peters shaped Atlanta's identity by founding core infrastructure and institutions.
He led rail development, reconstruction after the Civil War, and urban subdivisions that became Midtown and downtown landmarks.

ANECDOTE

How Atlanta Got Its Name From Railroad Men

Peters and engineer J. Edgar Thomson renamed Marthasville to Atlanta to shorten railroad logs and then circulated thousands of circulars announcing the completion of the Georgia Railroad.
The new name spread via their railroad publicity and later received a legislative charter.

ANECDOTE

Pine Knots Served As Early Train Headlights

Peters invented a low-tech headlight: a wooden shelf over the smokestack holding burning pine knots to signal night trains.
The Georgia Railroad ran at night; Peters reported fewer night accidents, possibly due to no other trains running.

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Peters is responsible for many of the institutions that make up the identity of the city of Atlanta. And as a man from Pennsylvania, he had unique position regarding the U.S. Civil War.

Research:

“Atlanta’s Suburb.” The Atlanta Journal. April 1, 1884. https://www.newspapers.com/image/968900463/?match=1&terms=Richard%20Peters
Black, Nellie Peters. “Richard Peters, his ancestors and descendants. 1810-1889.” Atlanta. Foote & Davies. https://archive.org/details/richardpetershis00blac/page/n21/mode/2up
Carlson, Leonard R. “Richard Peters: Champion of the New South.” (Book Review.) The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 46, No. 2, The Tasks of Economic History (Jun., 1986), pp. 564-565. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2122214.pdf
“EDWARD C. PETERS HOUSE.” City of Atlanta Online. https://web.archive.org/web/20080820103941/http://www.atlantaga.gov/government/urbandesign_petershouse.aspx
“Edward C. Peters House.” National Register of Historic Places. Jan. 20, 1972. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/1f64f313-3aa7-445c-ba1b-2cb6d3a1735f
“Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography.” Volume 13. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. 1921-. Accessed online: https://books.google.com/books?id=xAI9AAAAYAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Falkenberg-Hull, Eileen. “Georgia's State Capitals (1868- present).” Explore Georgia. https://exploregeorgia.org/blog/georgias-state-capitals-1868-present
“Hessians Auxiliaries,” American Battlefield Trust. July 29, 2021. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/hessians-auxiliaries
“Rare Reminiscences.” Atlanta Journal. August 24, 1885. https://www.newspapers.com/image/968897469/?match=1&terms=Richard%20Peters
“Richard Peters Founder of Atlanta and Midtown.” Midtown Neighbors Association. Feb. 9, 2012. https://midtownatlanta.org/richard-peters-founder-of-atlanta-and-midtown/
“Richard Peters Will.” Atlanta Constitution. Feb. 14, 1889. https://www.newspapers.com/image/26867020/?match=1&terms=Richard%20Peters
Shingleton, Royce. “Richard Peters: Champion of the New South.” Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press. 1985.

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