Q: I’ve heard there was an amusement park on Ponce de Leon Avenue at some point in the past. Is there any truth to this? If so, where was it?
A: I'm sometimes faced with a dilemma when writing these columns. The questions are often asked in a way where I want to keep you guessing throughout the article and build up to the answer at the end.
But most of the time, my training – who, what, where, when and how – wins out and I end up retracing the history of a building or historical event in something that resembles chronological order.
So, yes there was an amusement park on Ponce de Leon Avenue, but before that, there were springs on land owned by John Armistead in the years after the Civil War.
To get your bearings, you probably know that spot as Ponce City Market, or for the folks who have been around for a while, the old Sears building.
But 150 years ago, the waters on Armistead’s land were thought to have healing properties, so a doctor named them for Ponce de Leon, the Spanish explorer who had searched for the Fountain of Youth.
And soon after, the road leading to the springs also took this name.
Even in the 1870s, what became Ponce de Leon Avenue was known for the volume of people on the road.
Historian Franklin Garrett wrote about the “heavy traffic” between Atlanta and the springs, which led to a streetcar line being built.
In 1903, the land was turned into an amusement park with rides, an arcade, a pavilion and other attractions. A map from 1905 shows a building for moving pictures and something called the “Enchanted Canal.”
Postcards called it “The Coney Island of Atlanta.”
But the park quickly became a passing fancy for a city on the move. Businesses began to spring up around the area and Sears built its gigantic building on that spot in the 1920s.
That became City Hall East in 1989 and was recently transformed into Ponce City Market.
Call out to readers
Last week’s question about the pronunciation of McDonough, led to another one asking for the correct way to say Senoia and Chamblee.
Is Senoia pronounced “suh-NOY” or “suh-NOY-yuh?”
Do you say Chamblee as “SHAM-blee” or “CHAM-blee?”
If you’re in the know, shoot me an email or leave a message.
About the Author
