The town at the base of Stone Mountain was founded in 1847. The expansion of Georgia's railways connected Stone Mountain to residents in Atlanta and as far away as Augusta. Photograph by Daniel Meyer, Wikimedia The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print. All requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource must be submitted to the rights holder.

Farmers gather in 1949 for the opening of the Farmers Mutual Exchange, likely a cooperative for cotton producers, in Winder. The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print. Requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource should be submitted to the Georgia Archives. ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLHOq56imZWjsLqvy6innpyZlnuwvsZomKusmZi5pr%2BOm6ysoZ6awLR5xJymp6edrnynrdGmZJynn6Wys63Toq2eq1%2BienmEl3Bm

U.S. soldiers, pictured in the spring of 1942, undergo training at Fort Benning in Columbus. During World War II Fort Benning was the largest infantry training post in the world. Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print. All requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource must be submitted to the rights holder.

Georgia was one of the first southern states to build a penitentiary to confine criminals. In 1803, when the city of Milledgeville was chosen to replace Louisville as the capital of Georgia, a square of sixteen acres was set aside for a penitentiary. Governor John Milledge asked the 1804 legislature to establish a penitentiary system “with the view of softening the rigors of our penal code.” Although the legislature did not approve plans for a penitentiary, the subject continued to be on the agendas of successive governors.

Georgia State University (GSU) is the largest school in the University System of Georgia. After it merged with Georgia Perimeter College in January 2016, its enrollment jumped from approximately 30,000 students to approximately 54,000 students. An urban university centered in downtown Atlanta, GSU began as an evening school and grew in response to the educational needs of the expanding metropolitan area. Before World War II (1941-45) no other major southern city had a facility like the Evening School, a public college offering degrees to working young adults.