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History · Atlanta

Atlanta dates to 1881

Most of Atlanta was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1965. Below: maps from 1955 on and the census since 2000.

1881founded
0on the National Register
6%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Atlanta began

When was Atlanta founded?

1881

Atlanta dates its founding to 1881 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 2000.

First census: 757 in 20002020 census: 720145 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1882.The full story ↓

What stands out about Atlanta’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Atlanta are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
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Start Atlanta’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Atlanta’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Atlanta came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Atlanta.

Read it all →

Atlanta was established in 1881 by Alfred J. West. The Atlanta post office opened under the name "Big Rock" on March 24, 1882; the name was changed to Atlanta on October 2, 1882, and was named after Atlanta, Georgia.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Atlanta, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Montmorency County Courthouse2025Montmorency County CourthouseBriley Township, MI2025Briley Township, MIAtlanta, MI post office2025Atlanta, MI post officeAtlanta Municipal Airport (Michigan)2025Atlanta Municipal Airport (Michigan)Entrance to Canada Creek Ranch in Atlanta, Michigan in 20172017Entrance to Canada Creek Ranch in Atlanta, Michigan i…Disc golf basket on Hole 1 on the private 9-hole disc golf course at the Canada Creek Ranch in2017Disc golf basket on Hole 1 on the private 9-hole disc…
On the map

Atlanta on the map, 1955 to 1986

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Atlanta. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Atlanta on the 1955 USGS mapAtlanta on the 1986 USGS map1955Atlanta sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Atlanta.

People over time

Atlanta, census by census

020040060080020002020Peak: 827

Between 720 and 827 people in every census since 2000.

3 censuses, 2000–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Atlanta’s Wikipedia page.

Questions about Atlanta’s history

What year was Atlanta founded?

In 1881, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Atlanta’s post office opened in 1882, and the census of 2000 counted 757 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (6), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.