Archive Atlanta

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City Hall - REPLAY Aug 01, 2025

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This week, I am re-sharing an episode from 2021 where I cover the history of Atlanta’s City Hall...not just the Art Deco masterpiece you can see today, but also the places that no longer exist. Where they were, how we got them and what their fate was. Our current City Hall (the 4th one in history), was built in 1930 and brought forth something called the Atlanta Graft Ring - an epic corruption scandal that brought down a mayor and won the Constitution a Pulitzer Prize.

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The Atlanta Expressway Jul 18, 2025

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Before Atlanta was crisscrossed with interstates and highways, there was a bold plan—born from the Great Depression, inspired by Germany’s Autobahn, and fueled by fears of another economic collapse.

In this episode, we rewind to the 1930s to unpack how the U.S. highway system began, why Atlanta jumped in headfirst, and how a single report—the Lochner Report—shaped decades of urban design, displacement, and, yes... gridlock.

From ambitious plans, to having to teach Atlantans how to drive on the interstate, and even a traffic-stopping turkey, this is the origin story of the Atlanta Expressway and the infamous Downtown Connector.

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Atlanta Food Franchises Jul 04, 2025

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This week, we’re talking about Atlanta’s most famous food franchises. Atlanta has been the birthplace of almost a dozen food franchises, including Chick-fil-A, Huddle House, Mellow Mushroom, Great American Cookies, Applebee's, Flying Biscuit and Moe's Southwest Grill.

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"Built for Legacy" Canopy Atlanta - Collier Heights Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

Even though this is a bye week for me, I wanted to share a bonus episode related to a special project that I got to do recently.

I worked with Canopy fellow Damius Smith on his piece "Built for Legacy". Collier Heights was designed by and for Black people, with the architectural design of every house telling a story. From American Small Houses, to ranch-style, to mid-century, each home focuses on the symbolic power of the neighborhood.

https://canopyatlanta.org/2025/06/27/legacy-collier-heights-architecture/

Canopy Atlanta is a community journalism nonprofit founded in 2020. They collaborate with residents to tell stories about their communities, redefining who journalism is by and for. Even better, they pay and train residents to report alongside experienced journalists. And they’ve trained over 200 Atlantans so far.

"Lakewood Cutting" Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

This week, we’re talking about the Lakewood Cutting - the story of the murder of Fred Thompson. I’ve said a million times that I’m not a fan of true crime, but centuries-old murders in Atlanta’s past seem to have worked their way into my heart. But this week’s story isn’t just a murder story, this is a story of an abduction, self defense, secret orders, ransom notes and the far and wide reach of the Ku Klux Klan.

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Bowers v. Hardwick (Interview w/ Martin Padgett) Jun 06, 2025

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This week, I am SO excited to share a conversation that I had with Marty Padgett about this new book, The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS. Sodomy laws had been used to discriminate against queer people for centuries, but in 1986, the US Supreme Court ruled that the constitution did not guarantee a person the right to engage in homosexual conduct, even in the privacy of their own home. The case began with the arrest of Michael Hardwick and happened right here in Atlanta!

A Night at the Sweet Gum Head

https://martinpadgett.com

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The Bagbys May 30, 2025

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This week, I am bringing you a short bonus story about the Bagby Family, mainly brothers William and Hubert, who were known throughout the Bolton area of Atlanta for living along the banks of the Chattahoochee River while evading arrest. In April of 1957, brothers Hubert and William - the “The Ghost” and “Cobb County Roosting Man” - were arrested. Police found them hiding in the chifforobes at their family home and they were charged with 13 counts of burglary and one count of larceny.

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Roman Catholicism May 16, 2025

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This week, we’re talking about Roman Catholicism in Atlanta, mainly centered around the city’s historic Catholic churches from the 1850s through the 1950s.

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"Miss Sepia" May 02, 2025

Show notes

This week, I'm sharing the short history of "Miss Sepia Atlanta", Atlanta’s African American beauty pageant that ran from 1947 until 1963.

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Strip Clubs Apr 18, 2025

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This week, we’re talking about one of Atlanta’s most well-known attractions - it’s strip clubs. But why and how and when did we get this claim to fame? Why is Atlanta one of the few places that allows full nudity and alcohol? Why are the wings so good? Today we’re going to cover all of this and more; from the legislation battles to some of the iconic strip clubs from our history.

Lustful Appetites book

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