GALLERY: Past report details Cedartown accomplishments as decade closed

Amid National Preservation Month being recognized in May (along with many others,) the City of Cedartown took a few minutes out of their time to recognize the importance and consistent support for preserving local history via the Polk County Historical Society.

Arleigh Johnson, the PCHS Director, was on-hand to receive the honor and provided her own treat for commissioners being shared here on Polk Today: a blast from Cedartown’s past.

Local officials compiled a report in 1949 for the U.S. Highway 27 Association of Georgia’s third annual meeting in Columbus, where Cedartown was one of many cities and towns along a then two-lane stretch of asphalt stretching from Florida to Michigan.

Details in this report worth noting:

• The bridge set to be replaced on North Main Street was just finished the year prior at a cost of around $200,000. It’ll cost more than 10 times that now to complete a new bridge.
• Cedartown was in the midst of an economic boom in a budding post-war shift back to consumer production instead of military production. This included the building of “modern service stations” along with “super markets” and a drive-in movie theater, among other things.
• Agriculture was and continues to be one of the major focus of business efforts in Polk County.

As an editorial note: The report in total represents both a business and municipal governance-focused look into the past for some, but also a painful reminder of injustices that said local and state officials were active participants in perpetuating for generations. It is worth noting there are instances within the document that should be taken with the appropriate historical context in mind, and consider this is presented as a representation of the times. Much has changed, will continue to change, but the past is set in stone.

One last thing to say: the page titled “Cedartown’s Heart” does speak volumes to the community’s dedication toward one another in decades past, and should serve as inspiration toward being better citizens toward one another in the future.

-KtE

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