Q: I’ve always wondered about the name of Cave Road, which connects Mt. Paran Road and Beechwood Drive. Do you know from where it received its name?
—Marcia Epstein, Atlanta
A: Ms. Epstein, who lives on Cave Road, just east of Interstate 75 in north Fulton County, said she's heard several rumors as to the source of the name of the road.
- People have told her that it was named after a man, who appropriately enough, was named Cave.
- Someone said there's a cave somewhere in the vicinity that was used by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
- And, she said, it also could be named for the dense tree canopy that overhangs the road and makes it seem like you're driving through a cave.
I like the third explanation, however unlikely that seems.
The road can barely be seen through the thick foliage on the overhead view provided by Google Maps, but those trees probably weren’t that tall when the road gained its name.
And besides, John Knox VI, of a longtime Atlanta family, gave us a clue during a 2009 project by the Buckhead Historical Society.
During an interview, he mentioned a cave in the area, one that he used to visit when he was young.
Knox called it Prohibition Cave, which should give you an idea of its purpose, and said the cave was on a part of the road that no longer exists because of I-75.
It was near Paces Ferry, close to where the Rolader Spring Water Company was located.
“I think (the cave) was manmade, definitely manmade,” Knox said.
When asked the purpose of the cave, Knox replied: “That’s where they put, hid the liquor, where they hauled (it) in.”
It would be easier to figure out the origin of the street’s name if it had been called Prohibition Cave Road.
If anyone has any information about that cave or the name of Cave Road, e-mail me at Q&A@ajc.com.
Q: What is the origin of the name of Dacula. That’s such an unusual word. How did it come about?
A: I used to want to pronounce it DAC-u-la, like Dracula, but without the R, until I learned the proper way — duh-Q-la — as stated on the Gwinnett County city’s website.
Anyway, back to the question.
The area originally was called Freeman Town, after a doctor named Samuel Freeman, but by the 1890s, it also was being referred to as Hoke, which was the name of a railroad employee.
The town grew, so when it was time to incorporate in 1905, the postmaster – whose name was John W. Freeman – submitted six names.
For one of these, he took six letters from the names of two nearby cities.
Using the A, L and A from Atlanta and the D, C and U from Decatur, Freeman formed Dacula.
I wonder why he didn’t include the R.
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