Q: I’m a longtime Atlanta resident who recently moved to East Point. And since East Point isn’t east of much of anything, let alone a point, I’m curious how the airport burb got its name.
—Matt Hennie, Atlanta
A: Before East Point was the city's name, it was just a notation in an engineer's report, a reference point for where the railroad into west Georgia started.
Two railroads came to the area southwest of Atlanta in the 1840s and ’50s, and intersected in the area we now call East Point, according to the East Point Historical Society.
In 1845, the Macon and Western Railroad (later the Central of Georgia Railroad) completed construction of its line from Macon into Atlanta. The Atlanta and LaGrange Railroad (later the Atlanta and West Point Railroad) came a little later, providing service westward and creating a boom for industries located at the railroad crossing.
The area around the junction of the two railroads became known as East Point because the location was the eastern point of construction of the Atlanta and LaGrange Railroad’s tracks.
At first, it wasn’t a formal name, but simply a geographical reference in a report.
East Point became official when the United States Post Office established an office there in 1851.
“Folks are just proud of the name. … I am confident that when the post office came in, the growing community was already known as East Point, so it was logical,” said Charles Strickland, president of the East Point Historical Society. “That became who we are, East Point.”
Today, U.S. 29 runs alongside the east-west track, which carries CSX trains.
While East Point doesn’t get its name from its location in regards to Atlanta, it grew alongside that railroad city. Atlanta was known as Terminus before being renamed in 1847.
East Point has a population of about 35,000 people, compared to West Point in Troup County, which is at the other end of the line. West Point has grown to just 3,400 people in 160 years.
If you’re curious about the history of the city at the eastern terminal, the East Point Historical Society maintains a museum, which is open from noon-3 p.m. on Thursdays and from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Information: 404-767-4656 or www.eastpoinths.org
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