The start of what we now know as present day Kennesaw Georgia dates back to the 1830s when the state of Georgia constructed the rail line through Cobb County. The Western and Atlantic Railway, consisted of 20 miles of track from Atlanta, which was then known as Terminus, to Cartersville. Many small towns were constructed along this line, including Smyrna, Acworth, & Big Shanty.
Due to the abundance of water and high ground next to the railroad, many of the construction workers made shanties, to live in. The high point of the railroad between the Chattahoochee River and Etowah River is what is now known as the Crossing in Kennesaw. Eventually a plot of land was acquired by the railroad, and an eating house was constructed for the traveling public. It is now the Lacy House.
The Civil War Era was not so kind to the Kennesaw area. Sherman destroyed just about everything, including the railroad. The town started to recover in the 1870s with some new economic growth. Churches, homes, and buildings were reconstructed. The railroad was finally rebuilt and brought promise once again to the city of Kennesaw.
The 1950s was a hard time for Kennesaw. The last cotton gin finally closed and so did the Kennesaw State Bank. The newly constructed Hwy 41 bypassed the city. It was hard times. In 1957 Walt Disney Productions released "The Great Locomotive Chase", which revitalized interest again in Kennesaw.
Kennesaw made news again on May 1st, 1982, when it passed a law that every citizen was requiring "every head of household to maintain a firearm together with ammunition". The burglary rate in Kennesaw declined drastically and to this day has the lowest crime rate in Cobb County.
For more information please visit Kennesaw Historical Society's Kennesaw History site.
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