Loyd Street--and the Loyd Street Sewer--in the heart of Atlanta

You'd have to have really good eyes to find Loyd Street on this 1866 map of Atlanta, but it's there. You won't find it today, sadly, but if you've ever visited Underground Atlanta or Turner Field, chances are you've been on what was once Loyd Street.

Loyd Street is not to be confused with Loyd Road, pictured below, which is some miles east of Atlanta. For those of you familiar with my book, Mystery at the Loyd Homeplace, you may recall that I believe James Loyd, one of the pioneer residents of Atlanta, was my ancestor--in fact, my great-great-great grandfather. I have some circumstantial evidence I'll submit in a future blog.
The Loyd Street Sewer

While in Atlanta I had an opportunity to research Franklin Garret's exhaustive history, Atlanta and Environs, which has numerous references to James Loyd and Loyd Street. The street was one of the city's six original streets, and James Loyd's Washington Hall (hotel) was the centerpiece of the street. Go here to read of the Zero Milepost of the Atlantic and Western Railroad on Loyd Street.

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But the most humorous new information I got was about the Loyd Street sewer. Very humbling. Bear with me, and read on. Here is a quote from Garrett's book: "Indeed, the Loyd Street Sewer, Atlanta's original, became during the late 1880's a constant source of annoyance. Said the Board of Health in its annual report for 1889: 'Two of the main old sewers deserve special mention as dangerous nuisances. They are wretched excuses for sewers, and are a constant menace to the health of the city.'"

That's quite a legacy, but I'll take it if I can prove that street was named after my ancestor. It was only Loyd Street until 1901, but Garrett had a favorable comment about that: "The ancient street name of Loyd, honoring one of the city's oldest pioneers, passed into limbo, and the exceedingly trite and mundane Central Avenue was substituted." Hey, after what he said about the sewer, that last line was music to my ears!

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All of this is on my mind not only because of our recent visit to Atlanta, but also because I will soon be sharing my book with Farm Life's fourth graders. I want to model my theme that they should become acquainted with their own family heritage and seek to uncover their own special links with the past.