Joel Hurt: a 19th-century businessman who abused the convict leasing system
From slavery to convict leasing, one Atlanta businessman blurred the lines between the two. Photo Courtesy of GSU Library Archives
Joel Hurt, an Atlanta Businessman of the late 1800s to the early 1900s and co-founder of Suntrust Bank, is credited with building the Atlanta we see today. He is the man behind The Hurt Building on 33 Hurt Plaza, featured in the Golden Globe-nominated series “Lovecraft Country,” the Equitable Building and the Inman Park neighborhood’s development.
However, people do not say much about how Joel Hurt contracted labor from prisons to create materials for his buildings.
The acquirer is acquired but continues to grow
The Central of Georgia was acquired by the Richmond Terminal Company in 1887. The new company issued overvalued bonds based on the good credit of the Central. This resulted in huge corporate debts.
Under its new ownership, the Savannah & Western Railroad (S&W) was founded in 1888 as a Central subsidiary. It acquired several small railroads, pushing further into Alabama and across the Tennessee border. Shortly after it was founded the S&W purchased the 157-mile Columbus & Western (C&W), which connected Columbus with Birmingham, Alabama. In addition, a branch line ran from near the Alabama state line at Opelika to Roanoke.
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