Duluth Farmers Market

1821 - The Cherokee Indian Territory was settled by Evan Howell, the first successful farmer and merchant of Duluth. He moved here from Cabarrus County, North Carolina and settled near the Chattahoochee River on the northern boundary of the new County. He built his home and began working to bring his people into this part of the county. 1871 - The railroad came to Duluth which boosted the economy. With it came new prosperity and growth. The Methodist church formed in Duluth. 1873 - The town name was changed to Duluth following completion of the railroad. Duluth was named as a joke after Duluth, Minnesota when Congressman J. Proctor Knott of Kentucky made fun of the name. Today there is a Proctor Square and a Knott Street. 1876 - The official Charter of Duluth was approved by the Georgia General Assembly. 1886 - The Baptist church formed in Duluth. 1870 - Around this time, the first public school was built in Duluth. The first brick school was built in 1907 then destroyed by fire in 1935. 1880 - First Mayor elected in Duluth, John Knox, Served until 1885. 1904 - First bank built in Duluth, The Bank of Duluth. 1906 - The title was officially incorporated as the City of Duluth. 1922 - Georgia’s First Female Mayor Elected, Alice Harrell Strickland, Mayor of Duluth. 1943 - First Hospital built in Duluth, Joan Glancy Hospital. Duluth is 9.8 square miles in size and is located 25 miles northeast of Atlanta. Transportation is accessible by Interstate 85, Buford Highway, Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Georgia Highway 120 and Pleasant Hill Road. The corporate sector of Duluth welcomes over 1,750 businesses to the city, and by all indications, this number is likely to continue in growth. Duluth is the first city in Georgia to implement multi-material curbside recycling. This program is free to all residents and was recently upgraded to include cardboard recycling and special waste, such as oil and paint. The tourist attraction is strong in Duluth. The Southeastern Railway Museum preserves, restores and operates historic railway equipment. The Duluth Fall Festival, held the last weekend in September, offers more than 250 arts and crafts and food booths, and draws crowds greater than 80,000. Duluth elected the first woman mayor in Georgia, Alice H. Strickland. She lived 1861-1947. She promised to “Clean up Duluth and rid it of demon rum.” Her contributions to the community included opening up her home for kids to have their tonsils removed (there were no hospitals at this time). She also lead the movement to protect forest lands and donated an acre of land for a  community forest, the first in the area. Her home has been designated as a historic location by the Georgia Historical Society. The Methodist church was the first church to form in Duluth in 1871. The church was formed when a small group of citizens began meeting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Singleton S. Howell. The first building was constructed in 1873. The Baptist church was organized in February 1886 and the first building built the same year. In 1907, a second building was built and was destroyed by fire in July 1947. The building was rebuilt in 1948 of brick, rock, and Stone Mountain granite. Duluth is the fourth oldest chartered City in Gwinnett County. Lawrenceville being the oldest following by Norcross and Buford. The first school was built in 1870′s where the current Monarch School stands. It was a two-room building that was destroyed by fire in 1925. A new building was completed the following year and was later replaced with the current Monarch school building. Duluth High School was built in 1958, B.B. Harris Elementary in 1966, and more came later. The Bank of Duluth was the first bank to organize and open in 1904. It was located in the building currently occupied by Economy Pharmacy in Downtown Duluth. The Farmers and Merchants Bank opened in 1911. Both closed during the Depression. The Bank of Duluth was re-organized in 1945 in the original buil