Governor William Yates Atkinson (1854-1899) - Newnan, GA
Posted by: 
hoteltwo
N 33° 22.499 W 084° 47.982
16S E 704689 N 3695021
Located on the grounds of the Coweta County Probate Courthouse, this marker notes the short public service of a lawyer, state congressman and governor of Georgia.
Waymark Code: WMR6JX
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 05/17/2016
Views: 6
Marker text:
Born in Meriwether County, William Yates Atkinson settled in Newnan after receiving a law degree from the University of Georgia in 1877. Elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1886, he served four terms in the House, becoming Speaker in 1892. In the House, he helped establish Georgia Normal and Industrial College (now Georgia College and State University). Elected to two terms as governor, he served from 1894-1898. He championed progressive issues, hiring Georgia’s first salaried female state employee, Helen Dortch Longstreet, as Assistant State Librarian in 1894. Atkinson died at age 44 and is buried in the Presbyterian section of Newnan’s Oak Hill Cemetery.
Type of Marker: Highway
Marker #: 38-2
Date: February 2009
Sponsor: Georgia Historical Society, the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society, and the Coweta County Genealogical Society.
|
Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, yourself at the marker, your gps at the marker, or anything specific to the text on the marker. And don't forget to enjoy your visit.