Essays from local historians on Atlanta"s Piedmont Park are collected in this social history of a Southern landmark that attracts two million visitors annually and hosts important cultural and sports activities. Originally the site of the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition, the 189 acres in the heart of the city became the home of an off-season circus before members of the nearby gentleman"s driving club organized to develop the acreage into a civic park in 1903. Atlanta"s first golf course was laid out at the park, and it has become the home of political rallies, concerts, and arts festivals. Included are anecdotes and quotes from some of Atlanta"s most esteemed citizens and visitors, including Rick Bragg, Sibley Fleming, Terry Kay, and Indigo Girls Amy Ray and Emily Saliers.