COMMUNITY
50 FACTBOOK 2020
KENNESAW
By Ross Williams
rwilliams@mdjonline.com
Though it is Cobb’s third most populous city after Marietta and Smyrna,
Kennesaw may have the most well-known history of the county’s six cities.
It all began when the Western and Atlantic Railroad laid 20 miles of track
stretching from Terminus (Atlanta) to Cartersville by 1846. Several small
towns formed along the railroad line, which led to the construction of worker
shanties near present-day Kennesaw. This area became known as “Big Shanty.”
During the Civil War, it became a training camp for Confederate soldiers
because of its accessibility to the railroad and fresh water.
The city earned its largest historical claim to fame with the stealing of the
locomotive The General by James Andrews and a group of raiders in 1862.
The men commandeered the train when it made its way through Big Shanty,
solidifying the city’s place in history as part of The Great Locomotive Chase.
After it fell to Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s troops in 1864, Kennesaw
became a supply base, hospital and headquarters for the Union. The area was
on its way to recovery when it was incorporated as Kennesaw in 1887.
The city is also well known for its law regarding guns. In 1982, city officials
unanimously passed a law requiring every head of household to own a
firearm and ammunition, but police do not enforce this law and there are no
consequences for residents who do not own a gun.
The city is governed by the mayor and five-member council. It has a
population of about 34,000.
FACTBOX
City of Kennesaw
Estimated Population: 34,172
Average Household Size: 2.57
Households: 12,988
Homeownership rate: 61.6%
Median Family Income: $62,657
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Places of Interest: The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History,
downtown’s Depot Park. Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw Skatepark, and the
Smith-Gilbert Gardens on Pine Mountain Road, a 16-acre botanical garden which
includes the Hiram Butler house, a historic home which dates back to the 1880s.
A Bit of History: In the 1830s, the Georgia Legislature authorized the construction of a
rail line through Cobb and Big Shanty was formed. The town became the site of the start
of the famous Great Locomotive Chase during the Civil War, which saw Union raiders
hijack a train and ride it north toward Chattanooga with the Confederates pursuing.
Annual Events: Big Shanty Arts and Crafts Festival, April; Pigs & Peaches BBQ
Festival, August
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