Q: A recent Actual Factual Georgia talked about how the Buckhead area of Atlanta got its name. Isn't a community in Morgan County also named Buckhead? How did it get its name?
—Lance DeLoach, Thomaston
A: It shouldn't be a surprise that much like its city cousin in Atlanta, Morgan County's Buckhead was named for … a buck's head. Legend has it that Revolutionary War veteran Benjamin Fitzpatrick and a group of hunters crossed the Oconee River from Greene County and killed a large buck. They promptly cut off its head and hung it from a branch of a tree as a testament to the area's bounty. Buckhead became one of the first communities in Morgan County and grew quickly after the Georgia Railroad was built through town in the 1830s. There's only about 200 folks living there now, but at one time, Buckhead had "four general stores, a meat market, two drug stores, a cotton buyers' office, a barber shop, three restaurants, a hotel, a blacksmith's shop, two corn mills, a livery stable, a cotton gin, and a saw mill," according to Georgia.gov, but it was devastated by the depression and boll weevil. A small skirmish was fought there on Sherman's march through Georgia, with Union troops chasing off some Confederate soldiers and destroying the bridge across the Oconee, miles of railroad, gins, mills, 330 bales of cotton and 50,000 bushels of corn. It's safe to say, the origin of the name is about all these two Buckheads have in common.
Q: Did the Beatles ever perform in Atlanta?
A: Atlanta's new stadium had already been built by the summer of 1965, but the Braves were playing out the string in Milwaukee and the Falcons wouldn't hit the field until the next fall, so it was the perfect place for the Beatles to perform on their nine-city tour. John, Paul, George and Ringo flew into town on Aug. 18 and headed straight to the stadium, where they rested, ate and prepared for their show in the hot, humid Georgia night. They reportedly played 11 songs, including "Twist and Shout," "I Feel Fine," "Ticket to Ride" and "Help." Five dollars and fifty cents can't buy you love, but in 1965, it was enough for a field level seat to the concert; upper level seats were $4.50, much to the delight of about 34,000 Beatles fans that night.
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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