|
Morrow's beginnings can be heard in the roar of a train rumbling down
a track. Now a city with approximately 5,000 residents, a booming
retail industry and a thriving university, Morrow started out simply
as Morrow Station, a stop on the line between Jonesboro and Atlanta
back in 1846.
Georgia Governor William Lumpkin—later called
by historians "the father of Georgia's intricate rail system"—began
in the 1820's his push to build lines throughout Georgia. In the 1830's,
the Georgia legislature chartered three companies to build lines from
Savannah to Macon, Augusta to Athens, and Macon to Forsyth. The Monroe
Railroad Company built the line from Macon to Forsyth. The company,
restructured as The Monroe Railroad and Banking Company in 1836 to
extend the line northwest, completed the line to what is now Jonesboro
in 1845, just before going bankrupt. An adventurous financier named
Daniel Tyler bought out the franchise and stock. In December of 1845,
he chartered a new company—the Macon and Western Railroad Company.
Tyler extended the railroad further north into Atlanta, through what
is now the City of Morrow. The depot there was called Morrow Station,
after Radford E. Morrow. Service on the new line began on August 19,
1846.
Radford E. Morrow owned a plantation of more than 1,000 acres with
a large, two-story, 12-room mansion. His home stood regally on what
is now the corner of Morrow Road and Highway 54, the very spot where
the municipal complex bearing his name stands today. He also owned
a mill on what is now Lake Harbin Road and a tannery in Jonesboro.
The tannery produced leather goods for the Confederacy during the
Civil War. Morrow's home was burned by Union forces in Sherman's "March
to the Sea.”
Morrow Station was a farming community. The train would stop for several
hours in Morrow Station, while workers loaded agricultural products,
mostly cotton and tobacco, into the train cars.
Morrow Station was originally part of Henry County. Clayton County
was created by a legislative act in 1858 from parts of Henry and Fayette
counties, including Morrow Station. The county was named for Augustin
Smith Clayton, a Virginia native who brought his young family to Georgia
in the late 1700s so that he could attend the University of Georgia.
He later compiled the statutes for the state, served as a judge, member
of the electoral college, and as a U.S. Representative.
Morrow was "put on the map" in 1941 when a twin-engine DC-3
crashed in the still-unincorporated town on its way to Candler Field
(now Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport). Eight people died.
The crash was especially big news across the country because famous
World War I Ace and President of Eastern Airlines, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker,
was on board. He was one of eight survivors.
Two years later, Morrow became a city, largely in response to an Atlanta
newspaper's depiction of the city as "the whistle stop"
south of Atlanta. The Georgia Legislature granted the charter on March
2, 1943. The construction of Conley Quartermaster Depot, which is
now Ft. Gillem, in 1941 brought many new families to the area. The
old-timers decided they needed to incorporate their city so they could
maintain a voice in civic affairs. The first mayor was James B. DeFoor.
The population of Morrow, still a community of sprawling farmland,
was fewer than 300 people.
The population in Morrow grew slowly at first, hitting 580 in 1960.
Then, the growth picked up speed as the city was transformed from
a farming community to a center for business and retail. By 1980,
the population was 4,028.
In December 1976, the city's municipal offices moved into the Morrow
Municipal Complex, a renovated building that once housed a drug store
and grocery store. The city was operating out of two house trailers,
city hall and police department, and a one bay fire station. The renovated
building housed all city services until 1998, when the city moved
its police department to the old Clayton County Water Authority building
on Lake Harbin Road.
In 1968, Clayton Junior College opened within the city. It later received
senior college status in 1986, and was renamed Clayton State College.
Now known as Clayton State University, the institution now offers
many career training courses and community service activities in addition
to four year degrees in a variety programs. Clayton State University,
where all students began using laptop computers in January 1998, is
known for its innovative uses of technology in higher education. The
City of Morrow has been a partner with the university and continues
to be very supportive of the institution's effort to bring student
housing to the commuter campus.
The first student housing opened in the fall of 1999, as part of a
district known as the "Community-University Planned District
(CUPD)." The district was jointly planned by the President of
Clayton State University and City of Morrow officials in an effort
to attract quality students from all over the world. The student housing
accommodates remote technologies, so as to provide connectivity with
major universities and other learning centers everywhere.
Growth has not slowed in the City of Morrow, which is now home to
about 5000 residents. Concurrent with this increase in residential
growth, the city has developed an industrial and commercial base for
the city, including Morrow Industrial Park, Southlake Mall, and a
string of new retail and restaurant developments along Mt. Zion Road.
All of these operations are within the city limits and are considered
by many to be the economic engine for the Southern Crescent. The commercial
and retail base generates considerable sales tax revenue, enough that
the city council was able to wipe out property taxes altogether several
years ago.
Taking necessary steps to maintain the city's residential character,
the City of Morrow has remained committed to the concept of quality
growth, while also attracting clean, non-polluting industrial development.
Morrow's strictly enforced zoning plans, thoroughfare plans, and inspection
system help ensure a balanced, planned approach to economic development.
|
