Event to highlight efforts of Chamblee locals starting historical society

The city of Chamblee is more than a century old, and to mark the city’s upcoming 117th birthday, organizers of a free public event that will include a plaque dedication ceremony are bringing the past to the forefront.

The city will be hosting A Celebration Through Time: Honoring Chamblee’s Past, Present, and Future on Aug. 15 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Chamblee City Hall, located at 3518 Broad St., during which officials will unveil a dedication plaque commemorating Wylie H. Chamblee, namesake of the city.

According to historian Michael Hitt, Wylie Chamblee was a firefighter and railroad worker in the 1800s during the time when the city was known as Roswell Junction, causing confusion for travelers, U.S. postal workers, and others who associated the name with the nearby city of Roswell.

By 1888, a post office and the city were named after Wylie Chamblee, the only Black man known to add his signature to the petitions for both the naming of the area’s new post office and renaming of the city, said Hitt.

More information about how Chamblee got its name and the man for whom it was named will be presented during the plaque unveiling ceremony by local historians and members of The Chamblee History Project, a group with the goal of launching an official historical society in the city.

“It’s important for the history of Chamblee to be known and never forgotten,” said Hitt. “It’s our roots.”

For more information, visit chambleega.com.