MS 1881
Atlanta Gas Light Company records on Athens, Augusta, Griffin, Macon, Rome, Savannah, Valdosta, and Waycross
1857-2002
102 volumes, 3 boxes, 4 oversize folders, 1 oversize item (27.60 cubic feet))
Atlanta Gas Light Company.
Collection materials are in English.
Georgia Historical Society
, Savannah, Georgia.
Access restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Processing information
This collection is processed at the Basic Level (or collection level). There is no detailed inventory for this collection as it is not fully processed. To request that this collection be added to our priority list of collections to be fully processed as staffing and funding allow, please contact the Library and Archives staff.
Subject headings
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Athens Gas Light and Fuel Company.
Atlanta Gas Light Company.
Consumers Gas and Coke Company (Waycross, Ga.)
Georgia Public Utilities Company. Augusta.
Georgia Public Utilities Company. Griffin.
Georgia Public Utilities Company. Rome.
Macon Gas Company.
Macon Gas Light Company.
Macon Gas Light and Water Company.
Mutual Gas Light Company (Savannah, Ga.)
Savannah Gas Company.
Savannah Gas Light Company.
Savannah-St. Augustine Gas Company.
Southern Atlantic Gas Company.
United Gas Improvement Company.
Valdosta Gas Company.
Gas industry--Georgia--Atlanta.
Gas industry--Georgia--Athens.
Gas industry--Georgia--Augusta.
Gas industry--Georgia--Griffin.
Gas industry--Georgia--Macon.
Gas industry--Georgia--Rome.
Gas industry--Georgia--Savannah.
Gas industry--Georgia--Valdosta.
Gas industry--Georgia--Waycross.
Agreements.
Bonds (legal records)
Contracts.
Financial records.
Journals (accounts)
Ledgers (account books)
Mortgages.
Photographs.
Resolutions (administrative records)
Organizational history
The Atlanta Gas Light Company was established on 16 February 1856 by William Helme, Julius A. Hayden, William N. Kirkpatrick, Adolph J. Brady, William C Lawshe, and Cicero H. Strong. Several cities in Georgia already had gas service in 1856 including Athens, Augusta, Macon, and Savannah, but Atlanta had neither the capital nor the know-how until William Helme entered talks with Atlanta's city council in 1855. The company is the oldest corporation in Atlanta and the second oldest in the state of Georgia.
After a series of mergers beginning in 1927, Atlanta Gas Light Company acquired holdings in Macon, Augusta, Griffin, Rome, Athens, Brunswick, Valdosta, Waycross, and Savannah with Atlanta Gas Light prevailing as the continuing corporation.
Extracted from Keeper of the Flame: The Story of the Atlanta Gas Light Company, 1856-1985 by James H. Tate.
Scope and content note
This collection contains agreements, annual reports, bonds, contracts, financial records, journals, ledgers, mortgages, photographs, registers, and resolutions of several gas companies in Georgia administered by the Atlanta Gas Light Company including Athens Gas Light and Fuel Company; Consumers Gas and Coke Company in Waycross; Georgia Public Utilities Company divisions in Augusta, Griffin, and Rome; Macon Gas Company; Savannah Gas Company; Savannah-St. Augustine Gas Company; Southern Atlantic Gas Company; United Gas Improvement Company; and Valdosta Gas Company. The records date from 1857 to 2002.
Many of the records in this collection were used by the Atlanta Gas Light Company during a law suit to recoup funds from companies affiliated with Savannah Gas Company during environmental remediation of the Savannah Gas Company facility. The Savannah Gas Company was located in Trustees' Garden (bordered by East Bay, East Broad, Randolph, and East Broughton streets and General McIntosh Boulevard). The site was in operation from 1853 to 1953 and was the first Manufactured Gas Plant in Georgia. Environmental clean-up of the site was completed in 2005. Notes and colored paper left by the attorneys remain in many of the ledgers.
Environmental remediation also took place at the following other facilities: Athens (in use 1860-1930), Augusta (in use 1852-1954), Griffin (in use 1915-1930), Macon (in use mid 1850s-1950s), Rome (in use circa 1860-1930), Valdosta (in use 1906-1945), and Waycross (in use 1916-1953).
Arrangement of collection
This collection is arranged into 102 volumes, 3 boxes, 4 oversize folders, 1 oversize item:
- Volumes 1-5: Mutual Gas Light (Savannah) journals, 1874-1903.
- Volumes 6-9: Mutual Gas Light (Savannah) ledgers, 1892-1902.
- Volumes 10-12: Mutual Gas Light (Savannah) check stubs, 1884-1860.
- Volume 13: Savannah Gas Light Company dividends, 1857-1860.
- Volumes 14-31: Savannah Gas Company journals, 1904-1947.
- Volumes 32-47: Savannah Gas Company ledgers, 1904-1928, 1948-1949.
- Volumes 48-60: Savannah Gas Company financial reports, 1930-1943.
- Volumes 61-64: Savannah Gas Company voucher register (1928-1931); continuing property record (1930s-1940s); unit cost analysis (1935); and building inventory (1934-1935).
- Volume 65: Southern Atlantic Gas Company assets, 1948.
- Volume 66: Savannah-St. Augustine Gas Company ledger, 1945.
- Volume 67: United Gas Improvement Company ledger, 1882-1884.
- Volumes 68-70: Athens Gas Light and Fuel Company records, 1912-1921, 1929-1931.
- Volumes 71-75: Georgia Public Utilities Company - Augusta, Georgia, records, 1916-1929.
- Volume 76: Georgia Public Utilities Company - Griffin, Georgia, records, 1928-1932.
- Volume 77: Macon Gas Light Company stock certificates, 1884-1885.
- Volumes 78-90: Macon Gas Company records, 1881-1936.
- Volumes 91-95: Georgia Public Utilities Company - Rome, Georgia, records 1915-1923, 1929-1934.
- Volumes 94-100: Valdosta Gas Company records, 1871-1901, 1927-1934.
- Volumes 101-102: Consumers Gas and Coke Company, Waycross, Georgia, records, 1927-1935.
- Box 1: Mutual Gas Light Company, Savannah Gas Company, and Savannah Gas Light Company contracts, agreements, bonds, resolutions, and mortgages, 1877-1928.
- Box 2: Annual reports of American Gas and Power, Georgia Railway and Power Company, and South Atlantic Gas Company; digital image prints of Athens and Augusta facilities; photographs of Atlanta, Athens, and Augusta facilities, 1903-1985.
- Box 3: Macon Gas Light and Water Company ledger (1899-1905) and Savannah Gas Company ledger (1920-1940).
- Oversize folder 1: Savannah Gas Company report, December 1912.
- Oversize folders 2-4: Savannah Gas Company facility photographs, 1866-2002.
- Oversize loose item: Savannah Gas Company birds eye photograph of facility, including river and downtown Savannah, undated.