21 replies to this topic

[HistoricMustang]

Thanks to Jim Thurman's direction here is a 1940 photograph.

Henry

1940




Terry, it appears to be NW of downtown. Thanks for your continued help.

In another life I actually had a Lithonia, Georgia address. It was changed to Stone Mountain in the mid '70's and I left for Tennessee a few years later.

[MPea3]

I thought Lithonia was (and still is) almost due east of downtown Atlanta... Are those railroad tracks at the bottom of the photo turning "upward"?

Good luck finding anything these days. Dense development extends past Lithonia and Conyers.

[HistoricMustang]

Originally posted by MPea3
I thought Lithonia was (and still is) almost due east of downtown Atlanta... Are those railroad tracks at the bottom of the photo turning "upward"?

Good luck finding anything these days. Dense development extends past Lithonia and Conyers.

Sorry, NW of downtown Lithonia.

Hard to believe this aerial photograph is 70 years old.

Life was great at Diamond Head when this one was taken.

Henry

[MPea3]

This could be a tough one for two reasons, first, the area has probably been developed. Second, can anyone tell if one of more of what we see there is a railroad? I don't see anything in the way of a rail line that comes close to the curves I see in the photo, but then again there were a LOT more railroads in Georgia prior to WW2, and most of those tracks (including more in the Lithonia area) would be long gone.

[Terry Walker]

I haven't had any luck so far. There is 1966 air photo coverage of the area, I notice.

[HistoricMustang]

1949




Also, interestering 1960 aerial photograph from this same area but it does not appear to be Lithonia Speedway unless layout was altered. Surrounding area would have also changed a lot in 11 years and no sign of railroad tracks.



Henry

[Catalina Park]

I can work out the bottom photo. It looks like Covington Highway and the 285.

[Terry Walker]

Have to say I'm completely lost.

[fvebr]

Originally posted by Catalina Park
I can work out the bottom photo. It looks like Covington Highway and the 285.

Looks right comparing designs of roads of the houses around we can place the track over that
hangar/factory in the center of the image HERE

(meaning in the triangle, Covington Hwy / 285 / Redan Road)

Can Terry work out mixed with GE ?

[MPea3]

285 wasn't built until the mid-60's, and the 285/Covington Hwy area isn't really very close to Lithonia. I know with the discussions of Sharon Speedway and others tracks aren't always named for the closest city, but the area you're talking about is and was Decatur, and before interstates 285 and 20 was a long way from Lithonia.

[HistoricMustang]

OK gentlemen after much searching have located 1960 aerial photograph.

Also, that interesting layout of a possible track is not Lithonia Speedway. Does anyone know if there is possibily another track tied to the Lithonia, Georgia area?

Let me check the database for later photographs that may help. It now appears to be more west of Lithonia that I had originally thought.

Henry

1960

[MPea3]

Originally posted by HistoricMustang

Also, that interesting layout of a possible track is not Lithonia Speedway. Does anyone know if there is possibily another track tied to the Lithonia, Georgia area?

I spoke earlier today with Harry Robinson who raced in the area as far back as the late 50's. He says he used to race at a track that he THINKS was called the "Sugar Bowl" which was off of 278 between Lithonia and Covington. He says that was an integrated track though, or at least by the mid-60's it was. 278 is Covington Highway in Decatur and runs east from Lithonia along the railroad tracks.

[Jim Thurman]

Interesting...

This isn't the track I found.

Terraserver has older maps and I located it on a topo map there. The track I assumed to be Lithonia Speedway was along the NW corner of the Lithonia Country Club. It was above Chapman Road and on a road behind the golf course that looped West off of Rogers Lake Road.

[HistoricMustang]

Originally posted by Jim Thurman
Interesting...

This isn't the track I found.

Terraserver has older maps and I located it on a topo map there. The track I assumed to be Lithonia Speedway was along the NW corner of the Lithonia Country Club. It was above Chapman Road and on a road behind the golf course that looped West off of Rogers Lake Road.

Jim, perhaps we have them switched.

As you know this is research so perhaps I have Lithonia Speedway identified when it is actually the "Sugar Bowl"? Or, maybe the other way around.

Henry

[Terry Walker]

That industrial looking building complex south of it ought to be the giveaway, but I can't spot it anywhere on the current Google Maps. Grrr.

[MPea3]

I received an email back from Harry Robinson regarding the mystery track by the river between Atlanta and Smyrna mentioned in the Columbus track thread, and the Lithonia track. I've quoted his letter. Sadly the racial slur was commonplace for how blacks were referred to well into the 60's in Atlanta.


Mark,

I talked with Joe Gazaway today.... he thinks this was a horse track. He doesn't know of any race track in this area, but said in the late 50's and early 60's there were a bunch of horse farms in that area. Could be, since there are no grandstands. Also in the later photos there are some buildings and trying to size things up it looks like the track may have been an 1/8 of a mile or so. Pretty small for cars.

As far as the Lithonia Track, he remembered, and said back then it was referred to as the "****** track." He said Charlie Scott, Geore & Ben Muckel raced there. Some of the cars were provided by Pete Rogers who built cars for Roscoe Thompson. As far as he could remember the track ran in the 40's after the war. Apparently this was several years prior to the Sugar Bowl Track I wrote you about. He was not sure as to the exact location but thought it was just off Hwy. 78 near Lithonia.

By the way, he said Charlie was one hell of a driver.

Hope this is some help.

Harry

[MPea3]

are we sure that "up" is north?

[Terry Walker]

I tried inverting the air pictures, but still couldn't match the pattern. But I sure asked myself that question.

[MPea3]

Got it figured out. The track shown is NOT the Lithonia/DeKalb track. That photo and the development of the area has been bugging me to death since I saw the 1960 photograph. Lithonia did not have that rapid a development during that time, and as hard as I tried, I couldn't find anything that remotely resembled the road and rail layout shown. A big thanks to Henry who pointed me in the right direction by giving me the link to the aerial shots at http://dbs.galib.uga...ml/georgia.html

First of all, this is the Lithonia track, right where Jim Thurman said it was.



You can find it from this page by finding and clicking on image ati-2aa-102.sid

This is a current google image



As for the other track, look for the Druid Hills track thread...

[Jim Thurman]

Thanks MPea3

I originally found it on a topographical map at Terraserver. That site has older maps, particularly the topo maps.

Like I mentioned in my first post referencing the track, all trace has been lost to urbanization. Looks like grading for a housing tract on the exact spot.

That last aerial reminds me of California in the 70's, and again recently. Tracks in California I located on aerials from the late 90's through 2002 have disappeared under development in the later updated aerials, some after sitting idle for 20 years. Fortunately, I saved as many as I could find as .jpg files.

If I could figure how to post them, I'd start a thread for some more "Speedway Archaeology".

[HistoricMustang]

Great job MPea3.

Getting all of this straighten out is part of OUR job as a group.

Henry

[Terry Walker]

I've done an overlay again. The track is in an area that has been completely cleared.