By Ross Williams
rwilliams@mdjonline.com
Everything is happening in Smyrna. With nearby
SunTrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, and new
commercial/residential developments popping up all
over, the city is moving in fast-forward mode.
Known as the “Jonquil City” because of the
springtime blooming of thousands of the yellow
tubular flowers, Smyrna was incorporated as a city in
1872. Located 10 miles northwest of Atlanta, Smyrna
was once home to the Cherokee Nation.
When gold was discovered in 1828 in the Cherokee
Nation at Dahlonega, the U.S. government and the
state of Georgia initiated policies to remove the
Cherokee from the area, which resulted in the settling
of Cobb County and the subsequent founding of
Smyrna. The state divided the land and offered it to
settlers through a lottery.
The town was originally known as Ruffs Siding,
then Varners Station, and later Smyrna, after one of
Paul the Apostle’s seven Asian churches in the Bible’s
Book of Revelation.
Today, Smyrna is home to more than 56,000
residents.
The Market Village, adjacent to the Village Green,
is the city’s social center. The city-owned library is the
only one of its kind in Georgia as it is independent
from the larger county library system.
58 FACTBOOK 2020
SMYRNA
COMMUNITY
Places of Interest: SunTrust Park, Brawner Hall and the Taylor-
Brawner House at Brawner Park, two places listed on the national
historic register. The Market Village in downtown Smyrna.
Annual Events: Spring and Fall Jonquil Festival in April and October;
The Arthur Bacon Golf Tournament takes place the first weekend
in May; City Birthday Celebration in August; Taste of Smyrna in
September; Coming Home for the Holidays: annual Christmas Tree
lighting ceremony in December.
A Bit of History: The city was incorporated in 1872 and is known for
its Jonquil flowers that bloom each spring.
Famous Residents: Academy Award-winning actress Julia Roberts
and retired American football player Hines Ward.
The city is also known for having the first female mayor elected in the
State of Georgia, Lorena Pruitt, in 1946.
What’s New in Smyrna: Longtime Mayor Max Bacon announced in
2019 he will not be seeking re-election, meaning the city will have its
first new mayor in 34 years.
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