Atlanta ward system

Atlanta's Ward System were a series of political divisions used by the city of Atlanta from early in its founding until switching to a district system in 1954.

1854

The 1848 charter only specified election of six city-wide councilmembers, but on January 9, 1854 an ordinance was adopted that divided the town into five wards and two councilmen from each ward would be elected to coincide with the completion of the first official city hall.The next election with the new rules on January 15, 1855 decided those first Ward bosses who would serve with the short-term mayor, Allison Nelson.The boundaries were as follows:
*First (yellow) — all land west of the W&A Railroad and Whitehall Street. This diverse ward had concentrations of industry and working class people (such as railroad men) in the northern and western parts but the eastern section was home to some of Atlanta's wealthiest citizens, such as Richard Peters.
*Second (red) — land south of Georgia RR between Whitehall and McDonough. This wealthy section included the bulk of the town's wholesalers, warehouses, grocers and hotels. The residential areas included people like Dr. Joseph Thompson.
*Third (green) — land south of Georgia RR and east of McDonough. This ward included the new city hall, a number of mills along the railroad and the east many large estates including that of Lemuel P. Grant.
*Fourth (blue) — north of Georgia RR and east of Ivy. This ward had two of the roughest sections of town; the red-light district along Decatur Street (including Murrell's Row) and Slabtown but the northern part was home to mostly small farms.
*Fifth (violet) — west of Ivy and north of A&W Railroad. This ward contained the large homes along Peachtree Street and the southern part, Fairlie-Poplar was also largely residential with warehousing along the western part.

1871

During a huge boom of post-war building, two new wards were added from parts of the First, Fourth and Fifth to reflect the changing look of the city. This would be the layout until the city limits were expanded in 1874.
*Sixth Ward (aqua) — established October 1871 as the half of the First Ward north of Hunter St (MLK). This division left the wealthy in the First ward and gave the working-class people to the north two councilmen of their own.
*Seventh Ward (grey) — established December 2,1871 of parts of the Fourth and Fifth. Specifically from the "junction of Houston and Pryor streets, thence through lot nineteen, between blocks three, one and two, five and six, to the city limits; thence northerly along the city limits to Peachtree Street; thence south along Peachtree Street and Pryor Street to the beginning." And the Fourth was extended "from Ivy Street west to Pryor, and from Houston Street south to the railroad, and that Pryor Street shall be the line between the fourth and fifth wards, and Pryor and Peachtree streets between the fifth and seventh wards." This gave the red-light district to the Fourth and created a new Ward of mostly farmers and to the west, fine residences along Ivy and the east side of Peachtree.

1874

A new city charter was approved by Governor Smith on February 28,1874 which increased the radius of the city from one to one and a half miles, reduced the number of wards back to five and created a bi-cameral council of two councilmen from each ward and a second body of three at-large aldermen was established.Each year one of the aldermen would be up for election and during his last year in office would serve as president of the other body.They acted separately on finances but together for all other business.

The new ward layout was as follows:
*First Ward (yellow) was bounded by Western & Atlantic Railroad, Foundry St, south around the city limits to modern Peachtree Street
*Second Ward (red) was bounded by the Georgia Railroad, Whitehall south to city limits then north-east to McDonough (Capital Ave) and up to the railroad
*Third Ward (green) was bounded by Butler (Jesse Hill Dr) and McDonough Streets south to the city limits north-east to Georgia RR, then west to Butler
*Fourth Ward (blue) from Pryor and tracks east on Georgia RR to city limits then north west to West Peachtree and south to origin.
*Fifth Ward (purple) from Pryor and tracks north-east to Peachtree, then West Peachtree to city limits, south-west to Foundry and W&A RR and east to origin

1883

On Nevember 5, 1883 a Sixth Ward (beige) was carved out of the Fourth and Fifth Wards.Its boundaries started at Butler and the GRR (today's Grady Hospital) north to North Ave at Myrtle St, then up Myrtle to the city limit at 3rd St.Follow the arc of the city limit to Williams, south to Cain (International) then James (Church) to Forsyth south to the tracks then east on the tracks to origin.This separated the wealthy Peachtree corridor from the other parts of north Atlanta. (Garrett Vol II, p. 53-54)

1894

When West End was annexed into the city in 1894, it became a new Seventh Ward.

1898

Australian ballot introduced into Atlanta elections.

1905

In 1905, an Eighth Ward was added.An act of the Georgia General Assembly was enacted on August 3,1904 which designated the area from then current city limits (at 6th St and West Peachtree), north to 15th St, then east to Piedmont Ave, then northeast to Southern Railway (basically follow Piedmont to the Ansley Park area). Then southwardly along the railway the limits.The act also took part of the Sixth Ward north of North Ave between the Fourth Ward on the east and the Fifth Ward on the west will become the Eighth Ward.

1909

On January 1,1909 a Ninth Ward was formed out of just annexed Copenhill, part of Druid Hills, Edgewood, Reynoldstown, East Atlanta and Brownwood. Edgewood alone had had its own city government before the annexation.

1929

A Thirteenth Ward was created as the section of the Ninth Ward north of St. Charles and east of the Belt Line to the west side of Briarcliff and north the corporate limits.

1954

No longer a bicameral body, only a board of six aldermen with a Vice-Mayor serving as president of the board. All positions were elected city-wide, ending the Ward system.For post-ward setup, see Political structure of Atlanta.

References

*
* [https://apps.atlantaga.gov/citycoul/history.htm City Council history]
*Stone, Clarence N., "Regime Politics Governing Atlanta: 1946-1988", 1989, University Press of Kansas