Stone Mountain, GA

Stone Mountain is a town in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,811 at the 2010 census. Stone Mountain is located in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

The town of Stone Mountain was founded in 1885 by George W. Hill and named for its granite outcroppings. The first settler in what would become Stone Mountain was James Hogg, who arrived from Tennessee in 1875 and established a plantation on the site of what would become the town's first business district. In 1885, Hill purchased Hogg's land and began development of what would become the community that bears his name.

Stone Mountain quickly became a popular tourist destination due to its natural features – including its granite outcroppings – as well as its close proximity to Atlanta. The town's popularity led to rapid growth; by 1890, Stone Mountain had a population of 1,000 residents. By 1900, that number had increased to 10,000 residents; by 1910 it had reached 30,000 residents and boasted several businesses including two banks and three newspapers (the " Atlanta Journal", " Atlanta Constitution", and " Stone Mountain Citizen").

In 1915, Stone Mountain hosted the World's Fair – which is now known as the Centennial Olympic Games – marking one of the earliest instances in which an American city hosted an international event. The fair attracted more than 2 million visitors who came to see exhibits such as an electric locomotive powered by electricity generated from coal gasification and a model railway display that featured more than 100 miles of track made from real railroad ties imported from Europe.

Despite continued growth throughout the early 20th century (the population reached 100,000 by 1930), World War II caused significant damage to Stone Mountain; much of the town's infrastructure was destroyed during bombings conducted by Allied forces targeting key transportation hubs within Atlanta during Operation Overlord (the invasion of Normandy). Despite this setback (and subsequent economic hardships), Stone Mountain bounced back quickly; by 1950 it had regained all but 5% of its pre-war population and boasted over 60 businesses including two movie theaters (one operated independently while another operated within a larger theater complex owned by Paramount Pictures).

Throughout much of the 20th century – particularly following World War II – Stone Mountain remained relatively stable economically; however, beginning around 1990 there has been significant growth within the community due to factors such as increased investment opportunities related to technology companies based in nearby Silicon Valley and increased tourism related to attractions such as Six Flags Over Georgia (which opened in 1987) and Universal Studios Hollywood (which opened in 1990). As a result of these changes (and others), today Stone Mountain boasts a population exceeding 10,000 residents once again; moreover, according to recent estimates there are currently over 2200 businesses operating within its boundaries alone!