Atlanta, Ga., September 1, 2015 - The Georgia Historical Society honored Georgia Power as a flagship member of the Georgia Business History Initiative (BHI) with an historical marker dedication at their corporate headquarters in Atlanta.
The Georgia Historical Society’s Business History Initiative is designed to educate the public about the vital role that Georgia businesses have played nationally and even internationally in the development of the world we live in today.  Each year the Georgia Historical Society selects four Georgia-based companies and designates them as iconic Georgia businesses. The development of historical markers and education materials for K-12 students and teachers allows the story of these companies to be shared with a wider public audience.

“Georgia Power powers Georgia business,” said W. Todd Groce, President and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society.  “It is the engine behind the prosperous society we all enjoy today and through this historical marker and the Georgia Business History Initiative we can share Georgia Power’s indispensable contribution to our state.”

From its origins as an Atlanta electric company in the 1880s, Georgia Power has grown into the primary provider of electricity for the state of Georgia.  GHS is pleased to have this icon of Georgia business as a 2015 Flagship-level member of the Business History Initiative.

“Georgia Power cares about its history, has produced books on the subject, and preserves its corporate memory through the company Archives,” said Mike Clanton, Georgia Power Vice President of Land. “We are proud of our place in Georgia history and we are proud to be honored in this way.”

The historical marker reads:

Georgia Power
“A Citizen Wherever We Serve”

Electricity came to Atlanta in 1884, when the Georgia Electric Light Company of Atlanta, chartered in 1883, began operating its first generating plant and installed 22 streetlights. Henry M. Atkinson (1862-1939) was a driving force behind the development of the electric industry in Georgia and built the foundation for the present-day Georgia Power. Within five years, the company was powering 800 streetlights, a few businesses and electric streetcars. Beginning in 1902, Preston S. Arkwright Sr. (1871-1946) led the company’s growth through a string of acquisitions of smaller municipal and independently owned electric systems across the state. Known as Georgia Power (a subsidiary of Southern Company) since 1926, the company now serves millions of customers throughout Georgia.

Erected by the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Power

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ABOUT GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.
To learn more visit georgiahistory.com.

ABOUT THE GEORGIA BUSINESS HISTORY INITIATIVE
Each year the Georgia Historical Society selects four iconic companies as designees of the prestigious Georgia Business History Initiative. Through the BHI, GHS seeks to teach Georgia students, citizens and tourists alike about the pivotal role of Georgia’s leading businesses in the economic, cultural and social development of Georgia and the United States.