"Back in My Day" A Retrospective of Late 20th Century Athens
Visit the Bogue Gallery This Month
The Athens-Clarke County Library Heritage Room is throwing it back in the upcoming “Back In My Day” exhibition. Spanning five decades from the early 1950s to the 1990s, take a stroll through time to relive or discover for yourself Athens’ history.
Since 1950, Athens has experienced rapid growth, not just in population size but industry, art, education, and culture. This growth brought even more people to our beloved city, but also set in motion massive redevelopment in the late 1960s through local urban renewal and Model Cities programs. These programs not only changed the landscape of the Athens community, but also displaced many longtime residents, reshaped historic neighborhoods, and altered the social and economic fabric of the area.
While the post–World War II era was marked by massive economic and infrastructure development, it also brought social and political change like public school integration and the expansion of civil rights. Many were ready for the technological and artistic movements of the 1980s and 1990s and our community brought a new focus towards historic preservation and support of the artistic community. As we moved closer to the new millennium Athens was marked by shifting demographics, economic challenges, and increased community activism.
These moments are presented in the “Back In My Day” exhibition through items housed in the Athens-Clarke County Library Heritage Room Archives and Manuscript collections. Featured are ephemera from local schools such as photographs, jerseys, and programs; Athens’ pop culture as seen through local publications; and so much more that has been donated to the Heritage Room by other community members.
So take a step back in time, share your favorite Athens moment using the #AthensInMyDay, and consider donating your memories to the archival collections at the Athens-Clarke County Library Heritage Room.
The exhibit will open March 30, 2025 at the Athens-Clarke County Library in the Bogue Art Gallery.
The Athens-Clarke County Heritage Room welcomes you to this free, informal session online via Google Meets or in person at the Athens-Clarke County Library. Genealogy 101, the first in a two part series, will introduce you to the many resources available to you when researching your family history, no matter where your family might have originated or be today. Heritage Room staff will introduce the basics of genealogical research, the resources available, and how to start your family tree project! All attendees receive an information packet with resources and opportunities to ask questions during the session. Be sure to bring a pencil!
Trestles, Runaway Trains, and Streetcars: Athens’ Unexpected Railroad History
Sunday, April 27, 2025, 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Appleton Auditorium, Athens-Clarke County Library
Presented by Todd DeFeo
Athens, Georgia, has a deep railroad history, and it extends beyond the trestle on the back of a local band’s album. It includes a streetcar system that whisked Athenians around town and a narrow-gauge railroad in the region that struggled to connect with The Classic City. The stories of the local railroad history are as heartwarming as they are harrowing.
Smyrna resident Todd DeFeo, a former Athens Banner-Herald award-winning reporter, has studied railroads since growing up alongside the Northeast Corridor line in New Jersey. He is the publisher and editor of Railfanning.org and the founder of The DeFeo Groupe. Today, he lives near the historic Western & Atlantic. He has written several railroad histories, including books about the Western & Atlantic and the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville railroads. His new book highlights the largely forgotten history of the Atlanta Northern Railway, which ran between Atlanta and Marietta and passed through downtown Smyrna. DeFeo is an avid traveler, photographer and amateur historian. But, DeFeo has made a habit of mixing business and fun. In 2002, he launched Railfanning.org, one of the most popular websites dedicated to the hobby of train-watching. DeFeo is also editor of Sightseers’ Delight, a travel site.
Learn how the Athens-Clarke County Library Heritage Room acquires, manages, and promotes the archival collections within its care. This session presented by Rachel Bentley, Archives & Special Collections Library Specialist, will take you behind the scenes in the Heritage Room at the Athens-Clarke County Library. Get the insider look at how a community archive works to save the materials in its care and tell the story of Athens, Georgia.
In this session, attendees will learn how to uncover the fascinating history of a house or property, transforming a building into a living part of your family’s history. Discover the research methods and resources needed to trace the previous owners, architectural changes, and significant events tied to a specific property. We will explore how to access historical property records, deeds, tax rolls, and local archives, as well as techniques for connecting the house's genealogy to broader community and family histories. Whether you're interested in uncovering the stories of your own home or any property of interest, this class will equip you with the tools to research the rich history of a place.
If you have already taken our Genealogy 101 class and want to expand your research skills OR if you need a brush up on the best practices in genealogical research, this class is for you! In this hybrid session at the Athens-Clarke County Library 2nd Floor Computer Classroom or on Google Meets, attendees will learn the best practices of genealogical research methods. Make sure you have the best sources to support your claims. Take a deep dive into genealogy research methods, specifically Genealogical Proof Standards. Learn how to form a research question, discover sources, evaluate those sources, create citations, and record what you found. All attendees will receive a handout before the live session as well as access to slides. We hope to see you there!