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Morningside-Monroe Civic Association records

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.MSS712f

Scope and Content

This collection contains materials related to the proposed Interstate 485 (I-485) and the civic organizations that were formed to fight it. Included in the collection is a chronology of the fight to stop I-485, correspondence, petitions, flyers, a map, and newspaper clippings. Letters consist of correspondence between the Morningside-Monroe Civic Association, Board of Aldermen President Sam Massell, Jr., former Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield, and Congressmen Richard B. Russell, Harry Floyd Byrd, and James A. Mackay. Flyers for meetings of the civic associations and petitions to Georgia Governor Carl E. Sanders are included. Newspaper clippings from the Atlanta Journal and Atlanta Constitution newspapers, dated 1965-1966, document the numerous meetings related to the project and decisions from city and state officials. The map shows the proposed area for I-485 and has a comparison of Routes B and E.

Dates

  • 1964-1974, undated

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted through the Kenan Research Center.

Administrative/Biographical History

The Morningside-Monroe Civic Association (MMCA) was formed July 9, 1965, to fight the proposed route of Interstate 485 (I-485). This group separated from the Morningside-Lenox Park Association (MLPA) which was initially formed to fight the project. MLPA hired consulting traffic planners to suggest a new alternative to the Georgia Department of Transportation's (GDOT) proposed routes of A,B,C, and D. The traffic planners suggested a new route, Route E, which would cut through the properties of residents who formed MMCA. The new association hired former Atlanta Mayor, William B. Hartsfield, as their attorney. Hartsfield lived near the proposed Route E.

Administrative/Biographical History

Subsequent proposals by civic organizations for legislation to return the land to private ownership failed. The swath of land acquired by the GDOT sat untouched for more than two decades and, as of 2013, is Freedom Park.

Administrative/Biographical History

From 1964 to 1974, civic organizations fought the proposed I-485 with lawsuits. Over the ten year period, the GDOT acquired a large cross-shaped section of land, comprised of over 1,007 parcels, and razed over 500 houses in preparation for building the new road. Civic organizations were successful in stopping the construction of the road. In 1974, Georgia Governor George Busby instructed the GDOT to remove the highway from its long-term transportation plans.

Extent

2 folder(s)

Language

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift, 2004

Description Control

This collection was processed in 2013.

Title
Morningside-Monroe Civic Association records
Author
Carla Ledgerwood
Date
February 2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository

Contact:
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040