John Edgar Thomson

Events

1

Episodes

3

Years

1837–1845

Every event in Historedia whose sources name John Edgar Thomson, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

1. Western and Atlantic Railroad's Atlanta terminal fixed, origin of the city's name

   1837–1845

   Role: Chief Engineer of Georgia Railroad

   1. 11837 · Zero Mile Post siteDriving the Zero Mile Post

      In autumn 1837, Stephen Harriman Long drove a stake marking the railroad terminus, establishing the site that would become Atlanta.

   2. 2December 23, 1843 · MarthasvilleIncorporation as Marthasville

      The settlement was incorporated as Marthasville in 1843, honoring Governor Wilson Lumpkin's daughter, Martha Atalanta Lumpkin.

   3. 3December 26, 1845 · AtlantaRenaming to Atlanta

      In 1845, the name was changed to Atlanta, derived from the Western and Atlantic Railroad, following John Edgar Thomson's suggestion.

Sources

1. Atlanta Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-05
2. History of Atlanta Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-21