Lick Skillet ~ Adamsville  

Joseph Shaw moved his family from SC to Lickskillet, GA (near Atlanta, was later changed to Adamsville). Founded as a farming village, Adamasville was possibly named for early resident G. W. Adams, who farmed there in 1882 when it was called Lick Skillet. The name was changed to Adamsville in 1906. Joseph died during the Typhoid fever breakout, 1853. After Josephs death, the family moved a little north of Dalton, GA. There is a huge section called Red Clay, near Cohutta, GA, and a rail system ran through there. This is when the war between the states broke out and Gardiner Shaw left for the Georgia Regiment in 1861. 

Early history of Lick Skillet

The early history of Lick Skillet and this area, was closely tied to the roads that led from ferries and bridges at the Chattahoochee River to downtown Atlanta. Originally called Lickskillet, this settlement is now known as Adamsville; the name was changed in about 1870, one year after the founding of the Adams Lodge a Masonic organization, organized by George W. Adams. 

A winding dirt road of the 1860s which passed Ezra Ch. (S.E. cor. Mozley Park), & continued S.W. to Gordon Terrace, where it joined Gordon R. & ran westward to a cross-roads settlement called Lick Skillet, now known as Adamsville. The road, Mozley Drive, did not exist in 1864. Lick Skillet Road is cited frequently in reports, Confederate & Federal, as are 2 other landmarks of the battlefield: Ezra Church and Alms House. The latter stood near the present Gate House of the West View Cemetery. The Battle of Ezra Ch. began with the advance of S.D. Lee’s A.C. (deployed E. & W. of the Alms House), northward across Lick Skillet Road.

The lone headstone near the wood line marks the grave of a Confederate officer named Lt. Edward Clingman who died in the Battle of Ezra Church.  There is a small section of Confederate earthworks in the woods behind the headstone.

Westview Cemetery, a marker describes the Battle of Ezra Church.  Putnam Darden’s Mississippi Battery was stationed near here on the hill behind the Alms House (poor house) that served as a battlefield landmark.  This battery support Brown’s assault on the Federal lines near Battle Hill.

Mozley Park, the site of Ezra Church, name sake of the battle.  The Federal lines came to this point and started to turn in a generally north eastern direction.  Wangelin’s Brigade of Wood’s Division, 15th Corps(US) was positioned here at the church and extended just to the east.  Williamson’s Brigade of the same Division was positioned at the church and extended just to the north east.  They used the church pews and wood from the church to fortify their position and fend off the attacking Confederates of Clayton’s Division.

The original main entrance, now closed, to Westview Cemetery, sits on the site of what was once the Alms House (poor house).  This was a known battlefield landmark and Brown’s Division of S.D. Lee’s Corps, formed their lines of battle in the area as they prepared to assault the right side of the Federal line.

It was not until the 1950’s and early 1960’s that major development reached West Atlanta. This growth is reflected in the number of new subdivisions, commercial outlets and schools. The initial phase of the Boulder Park subdivision was platted in 1951. It was not until 1958 that Carroll Heights, Fairlane Heights & other subdivisions were planned. Collier Heights Plaza was developed in Adamsville in the early 1960’s to accommodate the growing residential community. Schools were also constructed to serve the increased school age population. Towns Elementary (1935), Harper High School (1963), Miles Elementary and Adamsville Elementary are named for distinguished graduates of colleges in the Atlanta University Center Complex. George A. Towns (1870-1861) Charles Lincoln Harper (1877-1966) Leonora P. Miles (1872-1973) Interstates 20 and 285 were also constructed during the sixties. The main artery leading from Adamsville into downtown Atlanta is now known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. Earlier names for the road were: Gordon, Garrett’s Bridge, Adamsville, Lickskillet and Howell’s Ferry.