My 80 Years in Atlanta by Sara Huff - A lively online book about a civilian experience of the Civil War. Chapters 1-5 , Chapters 6-20 to be here soon.
My 80 Years in Atlanta by Sara Huff- Chapters 1-7 in Microsoft Word format downloaded to disk.
A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR OF
"MY 80 YEARS IN ATLANTA"
My name is Sarah Huff. I am the daughter of Jeremiah and Elizabeth Norton Huff.
I was born here in my ancestral home, Huff House, May the 9th, 1856.
History-minded and a lover of adventure, few other Atlanta children were ever born at a time so opportune.
Being born just when I was gave me a chance
to know real happenings taking place in and around Atlanta during the sixties,
the most important epoch in the town's century of progress.
--Dedicated-----
To the past, present and future of Goldsmith School.
By their friend, Sara Huff
---Introduction by Publisher-----
The greatest way to build a future is to use aright the lessons of the past. A people which fails to regard its past will have no future. These sentiments have been expressed by some of the greatest and wisest men of old - Atlanta is indeed fortunate to have in the personality of Miss Huff an individual who not only remembers the reconstruction period and the scenes of the Civil War but whose parents have preserved many of the letters written during that period and have handed them down to her.
She has jealously guarded not only the memories of the past, but these precious manuscripts which help to make up a vivid account of the scenes of Civil War days and the reconstruction period. That she still lives with us to give us the impression of the heroism of those days is a blessing to the childhood and the youth of Atlanta. The articles which Miss Huff has written have been used in the Atlanta Public Schools in working out our activity program. They have constituted a real contribution to the history of the past and an inspiration to our youth for future achievements.
It is with great pleasure that we present them in pamphlet form to be preserved for the use of future generations. We acknowledge with grateful appreciation the courtesy of the Atlanta Journal and the gracious kindness of Miss Huff in allowing this publication, and we hope that this series of articles will be of tremendous value to the Atlanta Public Schools, to historians of the future and to the coming generation in preserving the traditions and heritages of the South.
Willis A. Sutton,
Superintendent of Schools,
Atlanta, Georgia.
September 24, 1937
The author Sara Huff and her sister lived in this house located in the Upper Marietta Artery their entire lives. Sara Huff was born May 9, 1856 and lived with tales to tell of Sherman's invasion of Atlanta. She wrote the lively book My 80 Years in Atlanta about her experience during the Civil War.
Huff Road was named
after this family. The Huff home was built in
1855 over the foundations of a log home constructed in the 1830's. From the
description in My 80 Years in Atlanta and from Mr. Hannah of Howell
Station and Robert Haywood of Murray Company,
the site of the house was at the top of the hill at the northeast corner of
Huff Road and Ellsworth Industrial Avenue. Will
Compton, a 1st cousin 3 times removed from Sarah Huff, contributed the
following information about the ultimate fate of the home:
The home was demolished in May 1954 by the owner (a Mrs. Rushton) who bought
it from the Huffs in 1952. It was to become a site for a 1 million dollar
toy factory. The source is the May 13, 1954 AJC newspaper.
According to both Franklin M. Garrett and the Hannah Family of Howell Station, Sara Huff was very good natured and enjoyed communicating. In a contrast that is remembered by everyone who knew them, Sara's sister was very quiet and hardly said a word - seemingly easy to do with Sara around! The head of the Hannah family used to deliver groceries to her house in the 1940's. He said she wore little black lace-up boots like the old days, the Huff house was filled with Civil War relics and, as always mentioned, Sara loved to talk.
In 1937 when Sara was 81 years old she dedicated her book as follows: