Lara J Designs was proud to be asked to design this special commemorative book for the City of Cartersville’s 175th Anniversary. Read more about the book in the article below:
‘Sense of community’: Cartersville celebrates 175th anniversary with commemorative book
By Marie Nesmith
Daily Tribune News
June 13, 2025
Continuing to celebrate Cartersville’s momentous milestone, its “175th Anniversary Book” spotlights the city’s past and present, while looking toward the future. The literary work launched during Cartersville’s 1/2 Birthday Bash event at Dellinger Park June 6.
“The ½ Birthday Bash was the perfect setting to release the book,” said Logan Bagley, Cartersville’s public relations and communication manager. “While the event was focused on bringing the community together, getting to hand this book over to people was just icing on the cake.
“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. People love the coffee-table-style design — it’s visually appealing, easy to flip through, and packed with both nostalgia and celebration. Everyone seems to appreciate the effort to showcase Cartersville’s rich heritage and current vibrancy. The book aims to document everything that makes Cartersville special, picking up the historical thread from where previous anniversary books left off. It highlights the growth, change and community spirit that have defined the last 25 years.”
While currently around 25,000 people call Cartersville home, it was incorporated as a town in February 1850 with a population of about 150 people. At that time, Cartersville featured around five stores and a hotel, which provided accommodations to passengers of the Western & Atlantic Railroad.
Cartersville is named after Farish Carter, a wealthy landowner who was well-known to many in mid-19th century Georgia. The entrepreneur traveled through the local area frequently heading to his residences in north Georgia and Milledgeville.
“The idea came from a desire to capture the progress our city has made over the years,” Bagley said about the book’s inspiration. “We wanted to celebrate where we are today while honoring the path that brought us here. Inspired by books published during Cartersville’s 100th and 150th anniversaries, this project picks up where those left off — documenting the last 25 years of our history while giving a heartfelt nod to everything that has shaped our city.
“My team managed the project from the initial idea to final production. It’s been such a rewarding experience, and I’m thrilled to see it come to life. I can’t wait for the community to hold it in their hands — something they can flip through to reflect on our shared history and celebrate where we are today.”
Bagley extended thanks to other organizations for their help with “The City of Cartersville’s 175th Anniversary Book.”
“We couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of Trey Gaines and his team at the Bartow History Museum,” he said. “They were essential in sourcing historical context and images. We also worked with local subject-matter experts to gather photos and write-ups on various topics, like downtown development, Cartersville City Schools, industry, African-American heritage and more.
“It was a collaborative process involving the Bartow History Museum, city staff and local leaders. We focused on key themes and moments that reflected the city’s progress and pride — from major developments to cultural milestones.”
Gaines, who serves as the director of the Bartow History Museum, shared how he and his team became involved in this project.
“We were approached in 2024 about helping put together a photo book to commemorate the city of Cartersville’s 175th anniversary coming in early 2025,” Gaines said. “Sandy Moore and I met with Logan Bagley a few times to discuss topics and direction and to identify folks in the community who could provide content.
“Similar books have been done in the past, and it was decided to fill this anniversary book with lots of photographs illustrating a variety of areas related to Cartersville’s past. Once those areas were decided upon, we began researching and pulling together the images that could best complement the content.”
He said Bartow History Museum’s archives provided a majority of the book’s images.
“We also incorporated or found some rarely seen photographs that offered new views of certain locations or events in our past, such as some early ‘welcome to Cartersville’ campaigns, images related to Summer Hill and views of some of Cartersville’s early parks,” Gaines said. “Images were also provided by other community stakeholders who were writing much of the text.”
He highlighted parts of the book that he found especially fascinating or noteworthy.
“Very early in the book is a page of maps showing how the city limits have grown over the years,” he said. “What began as a small settlement around the railroad steadily expanded over the decades, and much of this growth was due to the improvement and development of other major transportation routes, as well as a variety of industries, which is also illustrated in the book.
“Education has also played an important role in the history of Cartersville. School and libraries have been vital to the quality of life here, and that has been evident in the evolution of the school and library systems over the years.”
Spanning 53 pages, the “175th Anniversary Book” features various segments, including Cartersville Through the Years — Founding of Cartersville, City Boundaries, Downtown Cartersville, Industry, Education, Arts & Culture, Communities, African American Heritage and Museum City; Government — Mayor, City Council, City Manager’s Office and City Hall; City Services — Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Public Safety and Utilities; and 2025 & Looking Ahead.
The book contains numerous nuggets about Cartersville’s past and present, such as the city became the county seat in 1867; construction of the Western & Atlantic Railroad reached Cartersville by the 1840s; the “first piece of firefighting equipment” was purchased in 1873; Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. purchased the American Textile Co.’s mill and village in 1929; the annual Kiddie Day Parade dates back to 1955; Dellinger Park was established in the mid-1970s; the Public Works Department’s curbside recycling program currently recycles about 22 tons every month; and the city’s electric system now serves close to 10,000 customers. The Summer Hill community also is featured and referred to as “a cornerstone of economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural pride in Cartersville.”
“Established in the late 19th century, this historically Black neighborhood became a thriving hub of entrepreneurship, academic achievement, and civic engagement, leaving a lasting imprint on the City of Cartersville’s development,” the book states. “The Summer Hill Schools nurtured generations of scholars, athletes, and leaders.” Some of “its distinguished graduates are the first Black Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice, Justice Robert Benham,” Motown artist and songwriter, the Rev. Robert Lewis “Jackey” Beavers and “life-long educators,” Dr. Susie Wheeler and Nancy Beasley.
The “175th Anniversary Book” also mentions future projects, such as the revitalization of City Hall’s campus and a new recreation center.
“I have always had an interest in history; in fact, it was the focus of my bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. Marc Feuerbach, superintendent of Cartersville City Schools. “Looking through ‘The City of Cartersville’s 175th Anniversary Book’ was quite interesting, particularly seeing the various aspects of life that converged to create our community. In reading about the history of the railroad, local mining and even our schools, it gave me a sense of how Cartersville was shaped into the remarkable place that we know it to be today.
“Logan Bagley and Lara J Designs invited us to contribute to the book, and we happily accepted. We could not have provided the rich detail and photos without the help of the Bartow History Museum, the Summer Hill Heritage Group, and the historical research and work of Bob White and Michelle Neal.”
In the book, education is highlighted throughout, ranging from segregation and integration, and quotes about the future from today’s students.
“The story of Cartersville City Schools dates back to Nov. 22, 1888, when the Cartersville City Council voted to approve the establishment of public education,” Feuerbach said. “In 1889, the existing private schools, East Cartersville Institute and West End Institute, became part of the public school system. The school serving Black students opened September 1866, under the African Methodist Episcopal conference. Summer Hill, the public school serving Black children in first through sixth grade, was established in 1889 and would later merge with CCS.
“From these beginnings, our schools have woven a rich and celebrated history. From the story of integration and expansion to our modern-day focus of deeply inspiring all our students to build a legacy, we have benefited from the tremendous sense of community and pride that exists in our city. At CCS, we work hard to ensure that our relationship with the community is mutually beneficial and that we are adding value and strength to our local community, workforce and economy.”
Included among the photos in the book is an image of Feuerbach, attending a school-related event as the title character of “Where’s Waldo Now?”
“One of the things I learned quickly joining CCS and the Cartersville community is that traditions hold value here,” he said. “The Cartersville Primary School’s Character Day Parade is one of those special traditions and I have enjoyed taking part over the years. The photo that was included was taken during the 2019 parade and with a student who was also dressed as Where’s Waldo.”
Through “The City of Cartersville’s 175th Anniversary Book,” Bagley wants readers to take away “a deeper sense of community pride and appreciation.”
“My hope is that it sparks meaningful memories and conversations, while also inspiring excitement for Cartersville’s future,” he said. “The book is just $10 — a great value for a limited-edition keepsake.
“You can pick one up at City Offices at 1 N. Erwin St. or at the Bartow History Museum gift shop. We’ll be sharing specific hours and purchasing details on the City of Cartersville – City Hall Facebook page soon. We do hope to work with the library to make the book available in some capacity there as well.”
A copy of the book also will be available for researchers to view in the Bartow History Museum’s archives department.
“One of the things I enjoyed about being a part of the creation of this book was seeing the many ways we have used the downtown over the years through today and the development of vibrant cultural opportunities throughout the city,” Gaines said. “The book offers a glance at key points in Cartersville’s past, present and future. I hope readers will find something that connects to their own lives and time in Cartersville, whether they were born and raised here or just moved to town.”
