United States, Georgia, Hall County, Gainesville, 34.29788, -83.824071936-04-06View of the damage caused by a tornado to the town square in Gainesville, Georgia.Located in 50 miles northeast of Atlanta in Hall County, Gainesville was chartered in 1821. Known initially as Mule Camp Springs, the town was renamed in honor of General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, a hero of the War of 1812 who held a command in Georgia during the ensuing struggles with the Creek Indians. Gainesville grew with the discovery of gold in nearby Dahlonega, and was known as a resort town by the early 20th-century. A devastating tornado hit the town in April of 1936, killing more than 200 people. The town became the site of substantial poultry business in the 1930s. Growth in later decades was fostered through public power, educational, financial, and cultural attractions.image/jpegVIS 99.292.01ahc099292001a.jpghttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/Bill Wilson Photographs, Atlanta History CenterEvents--Georgia--GainesvilleTornadoes--Georgia--GainesvilleNatural disastersAutomobiles--1930-1940Vehicles--Georgia--GainesvilleCities and towns--GeorgiaTornado; Gainesville, GeorgiaStillImage