COMMUNITY
Powder Springs
Staff reports
Powder Springs first saw growth in the 1820s when prospectors
came to the area after gold was discovered.
Small amounts of the precious metal were found at Lost
Mountain and the area near Brownsville Road. But the city’s
name came from a different thing in the ground — seven
mineral springs, said to have therapeutic qualities. The city
was called Springsville when incorporated in 1838. The
nickname of “Gunpowder Springs” also formed due to the
minerals from the springs turning the land around it black,
as if gunpowder had been dumped out.
The city in 1859 then, was renamed Powder Springs.
Like many Cobb cities the railroad spurred development,
in this case, the Seaboard Coastline rail. Running through
the city, the railroad eventually became the Silver Comet
Trail, named after a train. The Silver Comet is a 61.5-milelong
paved trail, popular with cyclists and joggers, connecting
Smyrna all the way to Alabama, where it becomes the
Chief Ladiga Trail.
The city’s downtown includes a group of shops and hosts
events and festivals. It also is home to the Seven Springs
Museum, City Hall’s campus, the Ford Center campus,
Powder Springs Park, the historic cemetery, the Towne
Square, the Southern Quilt Trail and the city trails that
connect to the popular Silver Comet.
With about 16,900 residents, Powder Springs operates under
a mayor-city council-manager form of government. The mayor
is elected at large for a four-year term. Three City Council
members are elected to four-year terms from each of the city’s
three wards and two are elected at large. Mayor Al Thurman
became the first Black mayor of any Cobb city in 2016.
Places of Interest: Historic Downtown, The Seven Springs
Museum, The Cobb County BMX track at Wild Horse Creek
Park, The Silver Comet Trail.
58 FACTBOOK | 2022
Annual Events: National Day of Prayer, May; Live on
the Lawn, June-August; Springsfest, July; Powder Springs
Business Expo and Christmas on the Lawn, December.
A Bit of History: Powder Springs was once called Gunpowder
Springs because the minerals in the springs gave
the ground around the springs a gunpowder appearance.
The area used to be part of the Cherokee Nation. Gold was
discovered in 1828, and the Native Americans were forced to
leave the area on the Trail of Tears.
Famous Residents: A.W. Young was second baseman
for the Atlanta Black Crackers Negro League team and vice
president of the Cobb County branch of the NAACP. Lionel
Watts was selected for the All-League Baseball Team for the
Georgia Cracker League. Johnny Hill is remembered for his
.338 batting average that led the Atlanta Crackers to win the
Dixie Series in 1938. Lauretta Hannon published a memoir
titled: “The Cracker Queen: A Memoir of a Jagged, Joyful
Life” and was a humorist and commentator on National
Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” Actress Robyn Elaine
Lively is known for her roles in “Teen Witch,” “Karate Kid III,”
“Doogie Howser, M.D.,” “Twin Peaks” and “Saving Grace.”
What’s New: Powder Springs leaders are working to revitalize
the city’s downtown and encourage more commercial and
residential growth along with recreational opportunities in town.
In 2019, city officials broke ground on a new $3.7 million
downtown park, with new trails connecting to the Silver
Comet and the Lucille and Wild Horse trails, a splash pad,
an amphitheater and more. The city named it Thurman
Springs Park, after the current mayor.
Powder Springs City Hall
4484 Marietta Street, Powder Springs 30127
770-943-1666, cityofpowdersprings.org
City Council meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Monday of
the month in the council chambers at 4488 Pineview Drive,
Powder Springs, GA 30127.
/cityofpowdersprings.org