Q: How did Atlanta’s Cabbagetown get its name?
A: We dug up a few versions regarding the descriptive name, which the neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta received sometime in the 19th or 20th century, when it was home to the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill and the houses were built for the factory workers. And the reasons don't have to do with foodies convening in the area. Three of the most common stories can be found on Cabbagetown.com, run by the in-the-know Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association. One describes how a door-to-door vegetable salesman discovered that cabbages sold better than his other produce, and the neighborhood became known as Cabbagetown, a name that slowly became more popular. In another story, many of the mill's workers were former farmers and sharecroppers who moved to Atlanta for a better living. They soon transformed their front yards into gardens, and the smell of cooking cabbages dominated the area. It's said that a cab company on Memorial Drive would give nicknames to the neighborhoods it serviced, so it was appropriate that area was labeled Cabbagetown, thanks to its distinctive odor. There are variations to what is considered the most popular story. It revolves around a cabbage spill of some sort. Some say a train derailed by the mill and the workers and residents quickly grabbed all the cabbages. Some say a truck turned over, spilling its cabbages, and in another version, a Model T flipped over, "spilling its cargo of cabbages across the street. Someone yelled, 'Free cabbages!' and they were soon carted away by the residents," according to the website. Like several intown neighborhoods, Cabbagetown declined for several years, before going through a resurgence. The mill, which was built in 1881, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and later transformed into the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts. The building was damaged by the tornado that cut a path of destruction through downtown in March 2008, but couldn't make coleslaw out of Cabbagetown.
Q: How many interstates go through or are entirely in Georgia?
A: You might curse them when you're stuck among thousands of other drivers during rush hour traffic, but Georgia has 1,244 miles of interstates. The main ones are: I-75, which runs the length of the state, from Chattanooga, Tenn., to the Florida line, south of Valdosta; I-285, which forms a circle around the city; I-85, which enters the northeast part of the state and runs southwest into Alabama, just above Columbus; I-20, which enters Georgia at Augusta and runs northwest, to enter Alabama above Carrollton; and I-95, which runs north to south near the coast, from South Carolina to Florida. Other interstates in Georgia include: I-16, I-24, I-59, I-475, I-575, I-675, I-185, I-985, I-516 and I-520.
What do you want to know about Georgia?
If you’re new in town or have questions about this special place we call home, ask us! E-mail Andy Johnston at q&a@ajc.com.
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