Most of Atlanta was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988. Below: maps from 1950 on and the census since 1910.
The first settlement at Atlanta was made in the 1850s by pioneers from Georgia.
Atlanta was hit by two tornadoes exactly a year apart on December 8, 1916, and 1917. The first destroyed 35 homes and many smaller buildings. Two people were killed, and fifteen were injured. The second tornado was less destructive, destroying several churches, homes, and businesses. A child was killed, and two other people were injured. Both tornadoes were estimated at F2 intensity on the Fujita scale.
In 1938, a 5.5-kilogram (12 lb) stone fragment of a meteorite was found near Atlanta. It was sent to renowned American meteorite tracker Harvey H. Nininger. The discovery makes only three found in Louisiana.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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