Q: The neighborhood of Chosewood Park and the park of the same name are just south of the Atlanta Belt Line from Grant Park. A historic commercial building has a mosaic above the door that is inscribed “C.L. Chosewood.” Who was Chosewood?
—Cynthia Rintye, Atlanta
A: Chosewood was either a shrewd businessman or a corrupt politician, or both, depending on who you believed about 100 years ago.
Supporters complimented his business sense and critics called him crooked.
His record hints both might have been right.
Chosewood was a well-known businessman who ran an amusement park called White City when he was elected to represent the Third Ward on the Atlanta City Council in 1904.
He was tried and acquitted of assault with intent to murder in 1909 for allegedly stabbing a man in a fight in the park.
In 1910, Chosewood opted not to run for re-election – not because of the scandal from the trial — but because he wanted to go after a lucrative contract to provide concessions at Grant Park. He got that deal in November of that year.
Twelve years later, Chosewood was back on the council and irritating rising political star William B. Hartsfield, who led the Third Ward Improvement Club. Critics accused Chosewood and others of attempting to profit by planning a high school on property they owned.
“While he is feathering his own nest, the rest of the ward is suffering,” Hartsfield told the Atlanta Constitution in 1922.
Questions rose in 1930 about a plan to relocate Chosewood Park from where it was then located in south Atlanta. General Motors wanted to buy the area, and the plan for a new park, called for the city to buy 15 lots, some of which had connections to city council members.
That same year, the Constitution’s Clark Howell wrote a series about city corruption. Howell won the Pulitzer Prize and Chosewood, along with several other councilmen, decided not to run again.
In 1933, Chosewood ran for election and lost, but by 1940, he was on the council again.
At a neighborhood meeting, supporter J.C. Little said, according to the Atlanta Constitution: “(It is) the wonder of the town how Chosewood accomplishes so much. He is a wheelhorse in council and a representative we could not improve upon.”
Chosewood died in 1954 and is buried at Oakland Cemetery.
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