LaGrange

Book excerpt: Long known as the "City of Elms and Roses," LaGrange, founded in 1828, nestles among the rolling hills of western Georgia. The name pays tribute to the Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the American Revolution who passed through this area in 1825, and memorializes his estate in France, the Chateau de la Grange-Bléneau. In its almost 200-year history, the town has grown from an educational center to a textile hub and is now a home to diverse industry. Many prominent people have called LaGrange home--from Benjamin Harvey Hill and Horace King in the 19th century to Lamar Dodd and the Callaway family in the 20th century.