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Let’s recognize the original genius responsible for PTC There were certain issues in the past, whenever they arose, when I just kept my thoughts to myself and kept going. As an elected official who was vocal on land use and transportation issues, I was often called to speak to various groups regarding those subjects. But before speaking, I would sometimes be introduced as the mayor of a city created under a master plan, never veering from it, maintaining the original vision from start to present. It was not true. Without going into any detail, I would say something like, “You have no doubt heard a lot of things about the history of Peachtree City, some of which are true.” Generally, I left it there and went on with my talk. Many of the tall tales could be sourced back to the first mayor, Joel Cowan. Mainly, I just looked the other way, thinking he was just trying to embellish his legacy. Most people were led to believe that Cowan founded Peachtree City, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, when I read where sculptor Andy Davis asked the City Council to ply his trade to honor Peachtree City “founders” Joel Cowan and Floy Farr, I was repulsed by the notion that the local government agreed to officially commemorate a historical lie. Floy Farr is nothing but a mere footnote when it comes to the creation of Peachtree City. Farr is often given credit for single-handedly launching the Coweta-Fayette EMC, but that is also stretching the truth. Amateur historian, Carolyn Cary, whose previous attempts at Peachtree City’s history only begin with Cowan and Farr, reluctantly admitted Developer Pete Knox, Jr. preceded Cowan in her recent column entitled, “I’m proud to have known PTC’s founding father.” Ms. Cary confesses, “An article [on the new town, Peachtree City] in The Atlanta Journal, May 13, 1957, caught the eye of a Georgia Tech junior, Joel Cowan. He was the roommate of a Tech senior, Pete Knox III.” Ms. Cary continued, “Cowan thought this ‘new town’ sounded like a project he wanted to be associated with ....’” Obviously, someone else, specifically Pete Knox, Jr., had already begun the process of creating what is now Peachtree City before Cowan ever knew the project existed. Renowned developer Tom Cousins, who at the time was an employee at Knox Homes, and teamed with Knox on the creation of Peachtree City, will openly say Pete Knox, Jr. was the founder of the city and Cowan later became an employee, or “their man on the ground,” as Cousins would say. Unfortunately, Ms. Cary chose not to interview Cousins or Willard Byrd over the many years she purportedly kept an accurate history of Fayette County. Sadly, Ms. Cary did not even know of Walter Hunziker, the man who promoted the “new town” movement, convincing Pete Knox, Jr. to take such a daring move, until she read my column of May 13, 2009. Truth be told, the first time Hunziker ever heard from Ms. Cary was an email on May 19, 2009. Ms. Cary requested of Hunziker, “I would appreciate your sending along a comment or two as to your early involvement, I believe it would be about the year 1956.” The email request from Ms. Cary clearly shows the ball was rolling well before Cowan read the Atlanta Journal article in May of 1957. Nevertheless, Ms. Cary still clings, in a sort of stubborn resentment, to her claim of Cowan and Farr as founders. As the first mayor of Peachtree City, Joel Cowan became the city’s first ethical dilemma, acting as both the government and the developer simultaneously. Following citizen displeasure of such conflicting interests, Ralph Jones, an established figure in the community, possessing a great deal of respect, was elected mayor. Another myth was the city just zipped along following the perfect plan toward what we have today. In actually, there was no master plan until 1972, composed by Arthur Little Inc., projecting a build-out population of 84,000. Likewise, the developer and the landholdings went belly-up in the early days, leaving the city in receivership. The most valuable player in Peachtree City’s history was the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, electing to keep the landholdings intact from 1979 to 1994. Quite literally, the city could have been subdivided, sold off and developed in a way that would have never resembled what we have today had Equitable not been such a stable force. Equitable brought in the Peachtree City Development Corporation (PCDC) as its development agent from 1979 to 1994. (PCDC is now known as Pathway Communities.) PCDC’s Doug Mitchell is the person most responsible for Peachtree City being what it is today. Although Mitchell left some personal and professional damage in his wake, a somewhat forceful presence, he led the effort to reshape the city into its current form, creating the allure that drew most of us to this place. PCDC purchased the remaining Equitable holdings in 1994. In government and development circles, Cowan has readily taken the credit for Mitchell’s success even though Cowan’s vision of the city was different from what we have today. Mitchell publicly disputed Cowan’s claims during a LINK trip sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission, according to an article by Maria Saporta of the AJC (July 22, 2002). Many have also been disappointed by Cowan’s willingness to sell his landholdings to big box retail developers, further eroding the city’s village concept. I do not appreciate Cowan’s silence on the sidelines as others do his bidding, allowing revisionist history and the disintegration of Pete Knox, Jr.’s legacy. Even though I never met Mr. Knox or his family, I have a deep appreciation for the man and his vision, willing to take a huge risk on the concept of creating a new city. Cowan can certainly take credit for being the city’s first mayor and a primary developer, but the indignity of shoving the true founder, the man who employed Cowan, provided him with an opportunity, and acted as a mentor, out of our city’s history is shameful. [Steve Brown is the former mayor of Peachtree City. He can be reached at stevebrownptc@ureach.com.] login to post comments | Steve Brown's blog
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