DORAVILLE, Ga. – Railroads came to this Atlanta suburb following the Civil War, sparking growth and changing the face of this small town.
The railroad that passes through town, originally the Richmond-Danville Railroad, was proposed by Jonathan Norcross as early as 1856, though the actual construction of the line would have to wait until after the Civil War.
The city was named in honor of Dora Jack, the daughter of an Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line Railroad official. The town originally stretched one-half mile in every direction from the train depot.
The depot was shuttered during the Great Depression. Despite efforts to persuade the railroad to reopen the depot, it apparently never did.
In addition to the Norfolk Southern Railway line that still operates through town, the city is the terminus of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Northeast Line.