Carrollton, Georgia - People-Named Places on Waymarking.com

County of city: Carroll County
Location of plaque: Adamson Square & Rome St, LocoMex restaurant, Carrollton
Founded: Dec. 22, 1829/p>

The Person:

"Charles Carroll was born into a wealthy Roman Catholic family in Annapolis Maryland. He began his rather remarkable formal education at the age of 8, when he was packed off to France to attend a Jesuit College at St. Omer. He graduated the College of Louis the Grande at age Seventeen and continued practical studies in Europe until, at the age of 28, he returned to his home. Into the radical climate produced by the Stamp Act, walked a highly refined gentleman with all of the education and experience that might be expected of an emissary of the finest courts in Europe. Charles Carroll is said to have identified with the radical cause at once, and he proceeded to work in the circles of American patriots. In 1772 he anonymously engaged the secretary of the colony of Maryland in a series of Newspaper articles protesting the right of the British government to tax the colonies without representation.

"Carroll was an early advocate for armed resistance with the object of separation from Great Britain. However, his native colony was less certain in this matter and did not even send a representative to the first Continental Congress. He served on the first Committee of Safety, at Annapolis, in 1775, and also in the Provincial Congress. He visited the Continental Congress in 1776, and was enlisted in a diplomatic mission to Canada, along with Franklin and Chase. Shortly after his return, the Maryland Convention decided to join in support for the Revolution. Carroll was elected to represent Maryland on the 4th of July, and though he was too late to vote for the Declaration, he did sign it.

"He served in the Continental Congress, on the Board of War, through much of the War of Independence, and simultaneously participated in the framing of a constitution for Maryland. In 1778 he returned to Maryland to participate in the formation of the state government. He was elected to the Maryland Senate in 1781, and to the first Federal Congress in 1788. He returned again to the State Senate in 1790 and served there for 10 years. He retired from that post in 1800.

"Charles Carroll was the last surviving member of those who signed the Declaration. He died, the last survivor of the signers of the Declaration, in 1832 at the age of 95." ~ US History.org

The City:
"Carrollton was incorporated December 22, 1829, and named in honor of Charles Carroll, last living signed of the Declaration of Independence.

"In 1830, the town was surveyed and lots were laid out, with the central feature being the town square, which was later named Adamson Square, for local judge and congressman William C. Adamson. The first city commissioners sold business plots for Adamson Square at public auction on the first Tuesday in February of 1830. First Tuesday became known as trading day in Carrollton.

"Johnson's Drug Company, an apothecary shop, opened for business in 1854. Trade with local Creek Indians yielded roots and medical plants that served as a basis for Johnson's medicines, and this remained open until 1972.

"Although it was the county seat and the main market town for most of Carroll County, transportation of both goods and passengers was difficult until the coming of the railroad in 1874, so Carrollton remained largely a frontier town until well after the American Civil War.

"During the war between the states, there were four raids on the city of Carrollton. In 1865, Union troops set the northwest quadrant ablaze and held local citizens at bay.

"The coming of the railroad in 1874 brought new prosperity to Carrollton. Farmers were able to bring their crops, mostly cotton, to town for shipment to distant markets. The first masonry structure was built on the corner of Rome Street in 1873 by Patterson G. Garrison. Wagon yards, mule barns and cotton warehouses were located behind the buildings on the Square. The railroad also encouraged the growth of the fledgling industrial ventures, especially in the textile industry, in and around Carrollton.

"At the start of the 20th century, Carrollton boasted running water, had electric lighting and telephone service and the town began paving its streets in 1918. By this time, there were three silent move theeaters located on the Square.

"In 1906, Carrollton was chosen as the site of the Fourth District Agriculture and Mechanical School, which became West Georgia College in 1934, and is now the University of West Georgia.

"Carrollton remained an agricultural and textile manufacturing throughout the first half of the 20th century, but as the local production of cotton declined and the population became more urban, other industries began to take on a greater prominence. This diversification of industry has continued into the 21st century, aided in part by Carrollton's ready access to Interstate 20 and the Norfolk Southern Railroad.

"Through the years, the Carrollton Square has played host to many large gatherings, festivals, and events, including the passing of the Torch for the 1996 Centennial Olympic in Atlanta. Today, Downtown Carrollton consists of unique retail shops, coffee shops, and unique restaurants, live entertainment and eclectic art galleries." ~ Carroll County Historical Society & City of Carrollton

• Please post a comment and distinct photo.
• A "visited" only remark will be deleted.
• A "visited" remark by the 'Waymark Owner' at the time of posting is not appreciated and won't be accepted. If visiting at another time a "Visit" would be acceptable.