Located in Historic Downtown Cartersville.
www.BartowHistoryMuseum.org
|
|
|
|
As this time of social distancing and shelter-in-place continues, I hope you and your family and friends are well and healthy. While temporarily closed, we have not lost our focus or our drive to deliver to you useful content that we hope you find educational and enlightening.
This week’s email is particularly special to a number of us on staff, as, over the years, we have heard countless stories about working and living in the Atco mill and village. In fact, the mill paper,
The Wingfoot Clan
, formed the basis of my master’s thesis, completed in 2005.
So, I hope you enjoy this email that my team has prepared for you. Let us hear from you. Send me an email or connect with us on social media. We look forward to the day when we can welcome you back in the museum!
Trey Gaines
|
|
|
|
Life in Atco.
Let's mill around and see what we can discover together!
|
|
We are so excited to put together this email to share the history of Atco. To those already familiar with its history, perhaps this will bring back memories of life in this special community. There is so much more to cover than we can possibly include here, but we have chosen a few highlights that we feel help capture the story. We hope you enjoy it, and when we reopen, we invite you to visit the museum and archives where you will find much more to explore from Atco’s history, thanks to many of you in the community.
|
|
We have compiled a selection of photos. We hope you find it entertaining and even a little educational. Once you have looked at the photos, be sure to read the "Did you know?" section.
|
|
If you enjoy seeing these photos, be sure to follow us on social media, where we are continually posting photos like these for your viewing pleasure.
Also, while there, please consider following us, so we can hit our goal of 5000 followers. Thank you!
|
|
- The name Atco comes from the initials of the American Textile Company which started the mill and village in Cartersville in 1904.
- When officials of the American Textile Company first came to Bartow County looking for property to build their manufacturing business, they purchased the building that now houses the Bartow History Museum; however, they sold the building to the Cartersville Manufacturing Company in 1906.
- The American Textile Company sold the mill and village to the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in 1929. The village was incorporated into the Cartersville city limits in 1959, and the residents then had the option to purchase their homes from the company.
- For just over 100 years, in the Atco mill, both the American Textile Company and Goodyear manufactured products used in the transportation industry – cotton products used in horse collar pads and tires.
- When the Goodyear Company purchased the mill and village in 1929, they changed the names of the village streets to names that reflected their origins, leaders, and products, including Litchfield, Wingfoot, Akron, Defender, Goodyear, Ohio, and others.
|
|
Here is a crossword puzzle just for you! Test your knowledge of the Atco Village and see how quickly you can complete the puzzle.
|
|
Let's have some fun with a word search. See how many you can find. For an even bigger challenge, race against someone to see who can find the most in two minutes.
|
|
|
|
If you lived in the Atco Village, you might remember a community garden. Perhaps, you even took turns tilling the earth, planting seeds, or harvesting the vegetables. What a great experience!
Through this activity kids can visit the garden in search of the many items on the list provided. See how many they can find. Take this time to share a story about a garden you had in the past.
|
|
|
|
 |
Craft time with the kids...
Here is a simple craft to make with your children involving a milk jug, that can later be used for tending to the garden.
Asking your children to water a pot of flowers or juicy red tomatoes is a great way to teach responsibility.
|
|
|
|
These activities are designed to help your children learn about some notable individuals, who have a connection to the Atco Village.
|
|
|
|
Did you have family that worked in the mill? Do you remember attending the Atco school or swimming in the village pool? Perhaps you have memories of roller skating in the village streets or attending the annual Christmas gathering.
We thought it would be fun to capture your memories and stories of Atco. Together, let’s take a stroll down memory lane. Tell us your favorite memory of working or living in Atco. We’ll try to share them on social media.
|
|
Reading List
The following books include first hand history, stories, and images of life in the Atco mill and village. These books are available to read in the museum archives.
At Home in Atco
by John Willie Wilson*
Around the Water Tank
by James Haigler*
Recollections of a Southern “Linthead” Preacher
by Rev. Charles Hartsfield
Joe Frank Harris: Personal Reflections on a Public Life
by Joe Frank Harris*
*Available for purchase in the museum gift shop.
|
|
|
|
|
Self-recording hygrometer
|
The photo shows a self-recording hygrometer (measures humidity) used at Goodyear Mill, circa 1930.
It is now housed in the textile exhibit in the Bartow History Museum.
Want to see more items related to the Atco Village?
|
|
|
|
Our sister museums...
Looking for more to do? Want more resources?
We are putting them at your fingertips.
|
|
We look forward to seeing you at the
museum when we reopen!
|
|
|
|
(Currently closed.)
Stop in to shop at the Museum Gift Shop.
4 East Church Street
Cartersville, GA
770-387-2774
Monday - Saturday
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
