NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Plains, ca. 2005
In 1840, there were three separate settlements in the immediate area of Plains, Georgia. These included the Plains of Dura, Magnolia Springs and the smaller settlement of Lebanon. Plains is the shortened name which came from Plains of Dura, referred to in the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. This name was chosen when a major east-west railroad extended into the area and the three settlements moved to the railroad location. In 1885, Milton Leander Hudson, the first settler to Plains, donated the land on which the town was founded and also donated the land for the depot, which was built in 1888. When the Depression of 1929 hit, Plains lost much of its prosperity from years of growth and assumed the role of a quiet, Southern community.
In the fall of 1970 when Jimmy Carter was elected Governor of the State of Georgia, the role of the town of Plains changed. And the tempo quickened tremendously by 1976 when Carter became the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States. After his return from the presidency in 1981, Carter did not fade from the world scene because he undertook many projects to fulfill his ideals for public service and world peace.
Today, Plains is a quiet, peaceful small town that offers a unique shopping experience and the best of Southern cuisine and hospitality. Many visitors come to Plains hoping to get a glimpse of Jimmy Carter and to see this southern town where a young boy grew up to become the 39th President of the United States.
