Atlanta

History

In December 1836, surveyors platted the community of New Castle, located on the site of present-day Atlanta. The New Castle post office opened on November 26, 1847. In May 1853, surveyors platted the town of Xenia, The recently constructed main line of the Chicago & Alton Railroad intersected the town. As a result of being bypassed by the rail line, residents of New Castle voted to incorporate into Xenia. However, the town was unsuccessful in applying for a post office under that name, as there was already a Xenia in Clay County. In return, settlers moved to name the town Hamilton, after Colonel L. D. Hamilton, a Hamilton existed in Hancock County by this point. Finally, the name Atlanta was agreed upon, named after the city of Atlanta in Georgia. With no other Illinois towns by that name, the change was approved. The community of Atlanta was incorporated by the Illinois General Assembly on February 14, 1855. In 1869, the Peoria, Atlanta and Decatur Railroad was first surveyed. Work commenced the following year, and the line was completed by November 1874.

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Atlanta has a total area of , of which (or 99.36%) is land and (or 0.64%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,579
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,418
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,363
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,288
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,243
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  1,235
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,133
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,105

Most recent

• M 3.8 — 2026-01-20
  4 km NW of Ohlman, Illinois