An Interview About Albert Swofford
Interviewees: Teresa Garrett and Bert Swofford
Date of Interview:  May 18, 2000
 
When researching the origins of Sandy Springs, it seems as if almost every original Sandy Springs story begins at the corner of Roswell Road and Mount Vernon Highway. Sandy Springs sprang from this busy intersection where some of the area's original founding families set up shop.  For instance, it was here where the Burdett family opened its popular grocery store, setting the stage for this location to be a center of commerce. Land developer George Ivey created shopping centers nearby that housed some of Sandy Springs's longest-lived and most influential stores. 

In the 1950s,  Ivey developed even larger tracts of land which helped pave the way for local businesses to flourish throughout the latter half of the twentieth century.  One of Sandy Springs's longest running businesses was a children's shoe store, Swofford Shoes, located in the Sandy Springs Shopping Center.


Click here to read more! 

After 52 weeks of articles, and thanks to funding from the  Sandy Springs Society , we have published an entire year's worth of stories in a beautiful perfect-bound magazine! You may find this printed magazine in many local establishments, or click the image to open the electronic version. Additionally, we invite you to visit the Heritage Sandy Springs office (6110 Blue Stone Road) to pick up your free copy!

If you or someone you know would like to provide an oral history, or is interested in learning how to conduct oral history interviews, please contact us via email or by calling (404) 851-9111 x2.
Welcome to The Sandy Springs Gazette , published by Heritage Sandy Springs.
 
For years, the stories you will read and listen to in this interactive publication sat on shelves in our library waiting for researchers, genealogists, or interested readers to explore them. As Heritage Sandy Springs updated our mission, we also updated our approach to sharing the history of Sandy Springs with the public. 

History at Heritage is no longer relegated to a library shelf. We have created this interactive publication for those of you who remember these stories, events and locations, and want to share our unique history with the next generation.
 
Here's what you can expect from The Sandy Springs Gazette:

  • Each Thursday, Heritage Sandy Springs will publish a new article based on oral histories from Sandy Springs residents.
  • Each week we will add these stories to the Gazette, accumulating a firsthand account of historic people, places, events, and happenings in our community.
  • Researchers and fans will have the opportunity to view and study the written transcripts and listen to the audio of the actual interviews.
  • You can receive notifications via social media when new articles are published. Just search for the hashtag #TBT (Throwback Thursday) or #SandySpringsGazette. 

We are excited to share the fascinating history of our community with you each week!