About Alpharetta, Georgia
As the Civil War drew to a close, Alpharetta, along with the rest of the South, suffered a period of economic hardship. These "hard times" tended to draw folks together and a sense of community identity began to grow. But, as hard as these times were, Milton County faired better than many areas. Since the area was populated primarily by small farms and merchants, the collapse of the "Plantation" economy had nowhere near the impact as in other communities.
In the next decades, growth in Milton County was steady, but never spectacular. The area was hampered by the lack of a railroad, around which most growth in those times was centered. The nearest railroad dead-ended at the river in Roswell. It is ironic that in those times a railroad was so important, but today the absence of a noisy and dangerous railroad track is considered desirable for community development.
When the depression of the early 1930’s devastated the nation’s economy, Milton County found itself near bankruptcy. In order to save the area from disaster, it was decided that a merger of Milton County with Fulton County would be to everyone’s advantage. It was because of this merger that the first roads began to be paved. Until that time, the only paved roads in the area were State Highway 19 (now Highway 9) and 120 (now Old Milton Parkway).
Today, Alpharetta is one of the fastest growing communities in the South. Its environment is considered ideal for raising families and living a quality lifestyle free from the problems found in so many similar sized cities.
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