What’s In a (Road) Name?

Written by BLUE COLE | Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY  

Moreland sits nearly dead center in southern Coweta, due south of Newnan on U.S. Route 29/Alternate 27. That central location, a half dozen miles from everywhere, led to the construction of Mt. Zion Methodist Church in 1843. A train station arrived in 1852; named Puckett Station, it served the Atlanta & West Point line that connected farmers and communities to markets for their crops.

Fruit and cotton were king, and Puckett Station was renamed Moreland in 1888. The town grew up around the railroad station with  general stores, farriers and wagon makers. The town adapted as it grew, adding manufacturing jobs via Moreland Mills and several other textiles companies, jobs that lasted until the late 1960s.

The early road network was practical:

School Street was the site of previous school houses and is now the site of Moreland Elementary School.

Ball Street is where the town’s ballfield is located.

Church Street is the address of Moreland United Methodist as well as the original Mt. Zion Methodist.

Railroad Street parallels the modern-day CSX line running south.

Camp Street and Couch Street are named for early settlers and prominent residents. The Camp family had peach orchards and later a factory that made farming implements. The Couch family lived in the area farmed as well.

Cameron Street is named for Mose Cameron, a prominent African American leader in Moreland who died in 1949.

Victoria Drive is named for Victoria “Miss Vick” Camp, who lived in a lovely Victorian home on that street for years. She was the youngest daughter in a large family and lived well into her 90s.

Martin Mill Road, which connects Moreland to Sharpsburg, was almost certainly the site of a water-powered mill. NCM

Wanna help us out?

We’re working on a series of articles about local road names and the history behind the names. We know there are plenty of untold stories out there, and that’s where you come in. If you know the origin story of the streets or roads in your area, please share at magazine@newnan.com and we may include your neighborhood streets in an upcoming article.