MAJOR EVENTS IN DORAVILLE
1821
The Treaty of Indian Springs was entered into on January 8, 1821, by leaders of the Muscogee and States of Georgia and North Carolina. Under the terms they ceded an estimated four million acres of land to Georgia (including what is now DeKalb County).
WHISTLE STOP
1871
After years of construction delays during the Civil War, the Richmond & Danville Railroad joined the Georgia and South Carolina Air Lines in 1870 to form the Atlanta & Richmond Air Line Railway. The excursion train from Atlanta to Norcross/Duluth through Doraville began operation on April 1, 1871.
1871
On December 15, 1871 Doraville was incorporated by an act of the Georgia General Assembly. History notes that church leaders in the community wanted control over the two saloons operating in the settlement around the train depot.
1947
The Doraville GM Assembly Plant broke ground November 21, 1945 and was completed in June 1947. The first car off the line that November was a '48 Oldsmobile. 350 cars were produced in that stub year, with 29,147 in its first fully operational year.
1971
The residents of Doraville came together to celebrate the city's 100th birthday from September 11-18, 1971. The week-long celebration was co-sponsored by the Doraville Jaycees and culminated with a Field Day complete with a greased pig chase.
TRAGEDY AT TRIANGLE
1972
On April 6, 1972 fumes from an overfilled tanker truck were ignited by a furnace pilot light in a nearby home, causing a tragic explosion at Triangle Refinery. Resident James Sloan Jr. lost his life, as did Eugene Smith, a refinery worker. The fire burned for almost 4 days and nearly 300 homes were evacuated.
IT'S MARTA
1992
Doraville's old downtown was demolished to make way for MARTA's northern terminus on the Gold Line. Opening on December 12, 1992, the station has since been a popular park-and-ride for residents of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
2021
Doraville celebrated its 150th anniversary on December 15, 2021. Throughout the year the Sesquicentennial Committee organized several events to mark the occasion including a Park Party in each of the parks and The Doraville Car Show.
