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History Alive Brings History To Life

Since 2013, through History Alive, we’ve brought to life the history of Dunwoody and our surrounding community through speakers and workshops on a range of interesting topics – from how to trace your family genealogy to the story of the little train that once ran in front of the Donaldson-Bannister Farm. Through History Alive, we also offer tours of Dunwoody’s historic cemeteries, where some of Dunwoody’s earliest settlers are laid to rest, and participation in a variety of events related to historical traditions.

2024 Dates:

January 20
Speaker – Paige Watts
Subject – “What’s with Atlanta? The hidden history of Atlanta.”

March 16
Speaker – Traci Rylands
Subject – “Cemeteries from Dunwoody, Atlanta, and Beyond.”

May 18
Speaker – Brad Quinlin
Subject – “Marietta, Georgia. The Civil War City.”

July 20 
Speaker – Todd Defeo
Subject – “The Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore.”

September 21
Speaker – Ellen Rankin
Subject – “Post World War II housing development in Dunwoody.”

November 16
Speaker – Rachel Waldron
Subject – “The History of Recreation in Dunwoody.”

Recent History Alive topics:

      • “Kennesaw: One Last Mountain” with speaker Brad Quinlin
      • “Interview with a War Hero” with speaker Col. George Miserondino, USMC
      • “Marietta National Cemetery” with speaker Brad Quinlin
      • “When Atlanta Took the Train” with speaker Lloyd Neal
      • “Georgia’s Covered Bridges” with speaker Lisa Russell
      • “The Intelligence Game” with speaker Franklin Adler
      • History and the Holocaust
      • Two Very Different Vietnam Combat Tours
      • My Diverse Experiences in the FBI
      • Marriage in Georgia: Love or Money?
      • Atlanta From Below: Exploring the History of Underground and the Railroad Gulch
      • The Cherokees of Southern Appalachia
      • Secret Atlanta: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
      • Beyond Vietnam: MLK and the Vietnam War
      • Fighting Fascism with Film
      • A Short History of Barbeque in America
      • A Salute to the Life of Martin Luther King Jr.
      • Underwater Ghost Towns of North Georgia
      • The Ancient Ways of the Cherokee
      • Children of the Holocaust

Recent History Alive events:

      • Tours of the New Hope and Stephen Martin cemeteries
      • Sacred harp singing at Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church, Dunwoody’s oldest church
      • DPT Antiques Roadshow, at which people’s antique treasures were appraised

Follow our events calendar for the schedule of our next History Alive topics.

History Alive

July 20, 2024

The Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore

Whether it’s the Atlanta Beltline or downtown Dunwoody, it can be hard to believe trains once rumbled through the area. Sometimes, they leave behind subtle reminders. Other times, modern development has obliterated their remnants. But railroads helped build Atlanta as we know it. Trains transported communities for decades before the public turned to new forms of transportation, leaving the steel rail underutilized and ultimately related to the history books. Does our nostalgia today match the perspectives of those who lived during their demise? Come see speaker Todd Defeo speak on the history of railroads in the Atlanta area at the Donaldson-Bannister Farmhouse.

This History Alive will be held Saturday, July 20th from 9:30 am to 11 am
at the Donaldson-Bannister Farm located at 4831 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338.

No reservations are necessary. Donations (cash or card) are accepted at the door.

Thanks to a generous donation from Starbucks at Georgetown, coffee and pastries will be served at this event.

HISTORY ALIVE VIDEOS

Do you have special historical expertise you’d like to share? We’d love for you to be a speaker at one of our History Alive presentations.

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