Cascade History

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Frank Veltre

The Veltre Family: Peaches, Tailoring, and the Pioneer Era of Cascade Road

Introduction: The Pioneer Footprint

In the modern era, the residential grid of Southwest Atlanta is defined by its midcentury brick ranches and winding, heavily wooded subdivisions. However, before the post-World War II housing boom transformed the landscape, the Cascade corridor was a sprawling, rural frontier dotted with large agricultural estates. The names of these early pioneers are permanently etched into the geography of the city, surviving today as the names of the streets that cut through the former farmlands.

Among these foundational families was the Veltre family. Long before the area was annexed into the city limits, Italian immigrant Frank E. Veltre established a massive agricultural footprint along Sewell Road [now Benjamin E. Mays Drive].[1] Operating a thriving peach farm while simultaneously building a reputation as one of Atlanta’s most respected master tailors, Veltre bridged the gap between the city’s bustling downtown commerce and its quiet, rural outskirts. By analyzing early twentieth-century real estate advertisements, municipal paving resolutions, and archival obituaries, the history of the Veltre family reveals the pioneer era of the Cascade corridor and the origins of the streets that still bear their name today.

Chapter 1: From Macon to the George Muse Clothing Company

The patriarch of the family, Frank E. Veltre, was born in Italy in 1876.[2], [3] Seeking opportunity in the United States, Veltre immigrated to America as a young man. He initially settled in Macon, Georgia, where he entered the tailoring business as a “Practical Tailor and Cutter” in the firm “Veltre & Symans” (also spelled Symms) located at 356 Second Street.[4], [5]

In 1902, Veltre relocated to Atlanta.[6], [7] He brought with him an exceptional skill set in the garment trade, a profession that would anchor his family’s financial success in their new country. He initially operated his own highly exclusive tailoring partnership, known as Veltre & Harmon.[8], [9] His reputation for style and craftsmanship was so strong that in January 1914, the local press noted he traveled to New York for two weeks specifically to study the upcoming spring and summer fashion trends for the gentlemen of Atlanta.[10]

In September 1917, Veltre transitioned from his independent shop to take over the tailoring department at the George Muse Clothing Company, one of the city’s most prestigious and historic downtown clothiers.[11] He served as the head of the Muse tailor shop for twenty years. He was not merely a back-room tailor; he was a marquee name for the company. In major print advertisements, the clothier explicitly urged Atlantans to order their suits from “Veltre, designer,” utilizing his personal reputation to drive sales.[12] His steady, lucrative career downtown provided the capital necessary to invest heavily in the undeveloped land on the western fringes of the city.

The Veltre family became firmly embedded in Atlanta’s social fabric. Frank and his first wife, Bessie Postell Veltre (whom he married in June 1910), raised three children: two daughters, Miss Frances Veltre of Atlanta and Mrs. Harry Hames of Birmingham, Alabama, and a son, F.E. Veltre Jr., who relocated to Cullowhee, North Carolina.[13], [14] Frank also maintained close ties with his two brothers, H.F. and J.A. Veltre, who also resided in Atlanta.[15] The family’s comfortable social standing was occasionally noted in the local press; in August 1924, the society columns of The Atlanta Constitution reported that Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Veltre and their family had returned from a leisurely vacation stay at St. Simons Island.[16] The family’s prominence was further highlighted by the society page engagement announcements for his daughter, Grace Louise Veltre, to Dr. J.D. Shippey in 1930, and his son, F.E. Veltre Jr., to Miss Fuller in 1929.[17], [18]

Chapter 2: Civil War Earthworks and the Agricultural Era

While Veltre worked in the heart of downtown Atlanta, his true passion lay in the soil of Fulton County. He purchased a sprawling estate on Sewell Road, establishing his primary family residence nearby at 1084 Cascade Avenue S.W.[19]

Historical Context: The Battle of Utoy Creek
The land Veltre purchased was steeped in the blood and history of the American Civil War. During the August 1864 Battle of Utoy Creek, the area was a critical theater of combat. According to the historical research of Wilbur G. Kurtz, Union General John M. Schofield moved his forces to the right and rear of General John M. Palmer’s lines, throwing up heavy entrenchments on both sides of Sewell Road. Kurtz explicitly noted that Schofield’s fortified position south of the road included the exact “eminence on which the residence of F.E. Veltre now stands.”[20] Veltre had literally built his country estate on top of the fortified Union earthworks.

The property was not merely a highly productive agricultural enterprise known locally as “Veltre’s Farm”; it was also described in the society pages as their “lovely country home.”[21], [22] The Veltres frequently used the estate to host large social gatherings. On the Fourth of July in 1923, they hosted a picnic for forty guests, featuring dinner spread on long tables under the shade trees, afternoon swimming, and evening dancing and watermelons.[23]

During the 1920s, before the area was subdivided for residential housing, Veltre’s Farm was a popular destination for Atlantans seeking fresh produce. Veltre cultivated massive orchards, specializing in Georgia peaches.

“In the summers of 1924 and 1925, he ran prominent advertisements in The Atlanta Constitution and The Atlanta Journal, urging city dwellers to ‘Ride out!’ to his farm on Sewell Road to purchase his harvest directly from the source.”[24], [25], [26]

The advertisements boasted of “Ripened on Trees” peaches and “FINE, LUSCIOUS FRUIT” selling for just 25 cents, highlighting the agricultural bounty of the Cascade corridor long before it was paved over by suburban development.[27]

The Veltre family’s vast landholdings positioned them perfectly in the path of the impending real estate boom. In June 1924, the Weyman and Conley Company (Wey-Con, Inc.) announced the acquisition of a massive 280-acre tract of land in southwest Fulton County to develop the Cascade Heights subdivision.[28]

When the developers launched their intensive marketing campaign for the new subdivision, they sought to establish the prestige of the area by listing the prominent Atlantans who already owned property in the immediate vicinity. Frank M. Veltrie (an alternate spelling frequently used in the press) was prominently listed alongside other foundational landowners such as I.N. Ragsdale, Tom Pitts, and J.M. Zaring (the founder of Cascade Springs).[29] The presence of the Veltre estate served as an anchor of respectability for the incoming wave of suburbanites.

Chapter 3: Veltre’s Passing and the Settlement of the Estate

The Veltre family endured significant personal tragedies during the height of their agricultural success. Archival funeral notices reveal the loss of a “Mrs. Frank E. Veltre” in September 1926, and later a “Mrs. F.A. Veltre” in January 1933, the latter of whom was survived by Frank’s three children.[30], [31] Frank subsequently married his second wife, Louise Gessler Veltre, and the couple remained highly active in the local Catholic community, frequently attending services and social events at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church.[32], [33]

Frank E. Veltre did not live to see the ultimate suburbanization of his farm. He passed away on Friday morning, February 26, 1937, at a private hospital at the age of 61, following an illness of several weeks.[34], [35], [36] His funeral services were held at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, and he was buried in West View Cemetery.[37], [38] His widow, Louise, remained deeply devoted to his memory, publishing an “In Memoriam” tribute in the local papers years later to mark the anniversary of his passing.[39], [40]

However, the agricultural legacy of the estate did not end with his death. The family kept the orchards running. Archival classified advertisements reveal that three years after Frank’s passing, in May 1940, the family was still actively running the exact same “FINE PEACHES 25c VELTRE’S FARM – Ride out!” advertisements in The Atlanta Journal.[41] The farm survived the Great Depression and continued to supply the city with fresh fruit right up to the dawn of World War II.

Chapter 4: The Post-War Boom and Municipal Paving

By the spring of 1940, the family moved to liquidate the property. On May 19, 1940, a classified advertisement appeared in The Atlanta Journal offering the 42-acre estate for $10,000 to “settle estate.” The listing offered an alternative option to purchase 33.7 acres, including the home, for $7,500.[42]

Crucially, this 1940 advertisement provides the earliest documentary evidence of the family’s name on the municipal grid. The ad noted that the property featured a “3,880-ft. frontage on Sewell Road and Veltre Circle.”[43] This establishes that Veltre Circle was already cut and named by the spring of 1940. The sale was managed jointly by Frank’s son, F.E. Veltre Jr., and the “Cascade Heights Sales Office.”[44]

This specific direction to contact the Cascade Heights Sales Office provides a vital historical link. This office was the established headquarters of master developer George L. Wilson. Subsequent classified advertisements for the newly platted lots explicitly marketed Veltre Circle as the “Cascade Heights Southwest Section,” offering massive 200-by-300-foot parcels for $1,850 each.[45] While the exact financial transfer of every parcel remains obscured by time, this marketing paper trail strongly suggests the Veltre family utilized Wilson’s established real estate network to seamlessly fold their former agricultural estate into the expanding footprint of Cascade Heights.

Throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, the newspapers were flooded with listings for properties on Veltre Circle and Veltre Place, confirming the total transition of the land from agriculture to suburbia.[46], [47], [48], [49], [50], [51], [52]

The family took a direct, hands-on role in selling off the remaining parcels. By March 1955, Frank’s son, F.E. Veltre Jr., was personally acting as the owner-agent for the remaining land. He ran classified advertisements offering “20 ACRES, fronting 2,000 feet on Veltre Circle,” noting that he would be on the premises to meet buyers.[53] This 1955 advertisement also highlighted that the property was now “In city limits” (following the 1952 annexation) and that the “water main [was] already in,” proving the infrastructure was actively being laid to support the new suburbanites.[54]

As the new homes filled in, the city moved to formalize the infrastructure through a series of legal land ads and ordinances. In November 1953, the city officially notified property owners that an ordinance had been introduced to pave Veltre Circle under the “Special Bituminous – Baby Bond Paving Plan.”[55] By January 1954, the city was actively soliciting bids from paving contractors to lay the asphalt.[56] On February 25, 1954, the City of Atlanta’s Public Works Committee officially approved the final resolution for the “paving of Veltre circle, from Veltre place to Veltre place, and Veltre place, from Cascade road to Veltre circle.”[57] Subsequent municipal records, including Board of Aldermen proceedings in May 1957 and legal notices in September 1959, show the city continuing to assess and manage the infrastructure of Veltre Circle and Veltre Place as the neighborhood matured.[58], [59]

These streets became highly desirable midcentury addresses, featuring custom brick ranches that merged seamlessly into the Audubon Forest and Cascade Heights developments. However, the Veltre family’s pioneer footprint was not erased by the bulldozers. As the new streets were carved into the landscape, the developers honored the original stewards of the land. Today, Veltre Circle and Veltre Place wind through the heart of Southwest Atlanta, serving as a permanent, geographic monument to the Italian immigrant who built a tailoring career downtown and a thriving peach farm in the forests of Cascade Road.

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Footnotes & Citations (Click to Expand)
Citations:
  1. While his legal name and the subsequent subdivision were registered as Frank E. Veltre, several contemporary accounts in The Atlanta Constitution erroneously printed his middle initial as “A”. ↑
  2. “FRANK A. VELTRE DIES IN HOSPITAL,” The Atlanta Constitution, February 27, 1937, 13. ↑
  3. “FRANK E. VELTRE CALLED BY DEATH,” The Atlanta Journal, February 26, 1937, 32. ↑
  4. Display Advertisement for Veltre & Symans, The Macon Telegraph, December 15, 1901, 10. ↑
  5. “THE AWARD FOR GOOD DRESSING,” The Macon Telegraph, April 1, 1902, 8. ↑
  6. “FRANK A. VELTRE DIES IN HOSPITAL,” The Atlanta Constitution, February 27, 1937, 13. ↑
  7. “Frank E. Veltre Dies In Atlanta,” The Macon Telegraph, February 27, 1937, 8. ↑
  8. “F.E. Veltre to Study Styles in New York,” Atlanta Georgian, January 11, 1914, 2. ↑
  9. “VELTRE CONDUCTS MOST EXCLUSIVE TAILORING SHOP,” The Atlanta Constitution, October 1, 1916, 11. ↑
  10. “F.E. Veltre to Study Styles in New York,” Atlanta Georgian, January 11, 1914, 2. ↑
  11. “VELTRE NOW HEADS MUSE TAILORING DEPARTMENT,” The Atlanta Journal, September 2, 1917, 53. ↑
  12. Display Advertisement for George Muse Clothing Company, The Atlanta Journal, October 15, 1936, 22. ↑
  13. “ENGAGEMENTS ANNOUNCED,” The Atlanta Journal, April 22, 1910, 10. ↑
  14. “FRANK A. VELTRE DIES IN HOSPITAL,” The Atlanta Constitution, February 27, 1937, 13. ↑
  15. “FRANK A. VELTRE DIES IN HOSPITAL,” The Atlanta Constitution, February 27, 1937, 13. ↑
  16. “Social Items,” The Atlanta Constitution, August 20, 1924, 12. ↑
  17. “Miss Veltre To Wed Dr. Shippey,” The Atlanta Constitution, March 9, 1930, 38. ↑
  18. “MISS FULLER TO WED MR. VELTRE AT HOME CEREMONY IN HAPEVILLE,” The Atlanta Journal, May 26, 1929, 57. ↑
  19. “FRANK E. VELTRE CALLED BY DEATH,” The Atlanta Journal, February 26, 1937, 32. ↑
  20. Wilbur G. Kurtz, “Dugout Home in Atlanta,” The Atlanta Journal, July 10, 1932, 47. ↑
  21. “MR. AND MRS. VELTRE GIVE PICNIC,” The Atlanta Journal, July 6, 1923, 19. ↑
  22. “Social Items,” The Atlanta Constitution, August 20, 1924, 12. ↑
  23. “MR. AND MRS. VELTRE GIVE PICNIC,” The Atlanta Journal, July 6, 1923, 19. ↑
  24. Display Advertisement for Veltre’s Farm, The Atlanta Constitution, July 26, 1924, 16. ↑
  25. Display Advertisement for Veltre’s Farm, The Atlanta Journal, July 26, 1924, 12. ↑
  26. Display Advertisement for Veltre’s Farm, The Atlanta Constitution, July 18, 1925, 16. ↑
  27. Display Advertisement for Veltre’s Farm, The Atlanta Journal, June 27, 1924, 16. ↑
  28. “‘Wey-Con’ Co. Will Subdivide West End Tract,” The Atlanta Constitution, June 29, 1924, 12. ↑
  29. “‘Wey-Con’ Co. Will Subdivide West End Tract,” The Atlanta Constitution, June 29, 1924, 12. ↑
  30. “Mrs. Frank E. Veltre Laid To Rest From St. Anthony’s Church,” The Atlanta Journal, September 8, 1926, 3. ↑
  31. “Funeral Notices,” The Atlanta Constitution, January 23, 1933, 12. ↑
  32. “Funeral Notices,” The Atlanta Journal, February 15, 1935, 4. ↑
  33. “Funeral Notices,” The Atlanta Constitution, February 15, 1935, 23. ↑
  34. “FRANK A. VELTRE DIES IN HOSPITAL,” The Atlanta Constitution, February 27, 1937, 13. ↑
  35. “FRANK E. VELTRE CALLED BY DEATH,” The Atlanta Journal, February 26, 1937, 32. ↑
  36. “Frank E. Veltre Dies in Atlanta,” The Macon News, February 26, 1937, 5. ↑
  37. “Funeral Notices,” The Atlanta Constitution, February 27, 1937, 18. ↑
  38. “Funeral Services Are Held Here For Frank A. Veltre,” The Atlanta Journal, February 27, 1937, 2. ↑
  39. “In Memoriam,” The Atlanta Journal, January 16, 1939, 20. ↑
  40. “In Memoriam,” The Atlanta Constitution, January 17, 1939, 20. ↑
  41. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Journal, May 19, 1940, 42. ↑
  42. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Journal, May 19, 1940, 42. ↑
  43. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Journal, May 19, 1940, 42. ↑
  44. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Journal, May 19, 1940, 42. ↑
  45. Classified Advertisement for Veltre Circle, circa 1940s. ↑
  46. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Constitution, December 19, 1946, 26. ↑
  47. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Journal, August 22, 1948, 41. ↑
  48. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Constitution, May 18, 1950, 33. ↑
  49. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Constitution, August 14, 1954, 12. ↑
  50. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Constitution, August 28, 1954, 10. ↑
  51. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Journal, October 10, 1954, 48. ↑
  52. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Journal, October 17, 1954, 50. ↑
  53. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Constitution, March 10, 1955, 38. ↑
  54. Classified Advertisements, The Atlanta Constitution, March 10, 1955, 38. ↑
  55. “LEGAL NOTICES,” The Atlanta Constitution, November 19, 1953, 32. ↑
  56. “LEGAL NOTICES,” The Atlanta Constitution, January 5, 1954, 18. ↑
  57. “Williams Added To Paving List,” The Atlanta Constitution, February 26, 1954, 5. ↑
  58. “BOARD OF ALDERMEN,” The Atlanta Constitution, May 6, 1957, 27. ↑
  59. “LEGAL NOTICES,” The Atlanta Constitution, September 8, 1959, 9. ↑
Comprehensive Bibliography (Click to Expand)
  • Atlanta Georgian. “F.E. Veltre to Study Styles in New York.” January 11, 1914, 2.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “BOARD OF ALDERMEN.” May 6, 1957, 27.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Classified Advertisements.” December 19, 1946, 26.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Classified Advertisements.” May 18, 1950, 33.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Classified Advertisements.” August 14, 1954, 12.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Classified Advertisements.” August 28, 1954, 10.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Classified Advertisements.” March 10, 1955, 38.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. Display Advertisement for Veltre’s Farm. July 26, 1924, 16.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. Display Advertisement for Veltre’s Farm. July 18, 1925, 16.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. Display Advertisement for Veltre’s Farm. July 19, 1925, 28.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “FRANK A. VELTRE DIES IN HOSPITAL.” February 27, 1937, 13.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Fuller-Veltre Engagement Is Of Interest Here.” May 26, 1929, 34.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Funeral Notices.” January 23, 1933, 12.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Funeral Notices.” February 15, 1935, 23.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Funeral Notices.” February 27, 1937, 18.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “In Memoriam.” January 17, 1939, 20.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “LEGAL NOTICES.” November 19, 1953, 32.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “LEGAL NOTICES.” January 5, 1954, 18.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “LEGAL NOTICES.” September 8, 1959, 9.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Miss Veltre To Wed Dr. Shippey.” March 9, 1930, 38.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Social Items.” August 20, 1924, 12.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “VELTRE CONDUCTS MOST EXCLUSIVE TAILORING SHOP.” October 1, 1916, 11.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “Williams Added To Paving List.” February 26, 1954, 5.
  • The Atlanta Constitution. “‘Wey-Con’ Co. Will Subdivide West End Tract.” June 29, 1924, 12.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “Classified Advertisement for Veltre Circle.” Circa 1940s.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “Classified Advertisements.” May 19, 1940, 42.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “Classified Advertisements.” May 25, 1944, 31.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “Classified Advertisements.” August 22, 1948, 41.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “Classified Advertisements.” October 10, 1954, 48.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “Classified Advertisements.” October 17, 1954, 50.
  • The Atlanta Journal. Display Advertisement for George Muse Clothing Company. October 15, 1936, 22.
  • The Atlanta Journal. Display Advertisement for Veltre’s Farm. June 27, 1924, 16.
  • The Atlanta Journal. Display Advertisement for Veltre’s Farm. July 26, 1924, 12.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “Dugout Home in Atlanta.” July 10, 1932, 47.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “ENGAGEMENTS ANNOUNCED.” April 22, 1910, 10.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “FRANK E. VELTRE CALLED BY DEATH.” February 26, 1937, 27.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “FRANK E. VELTRE CALLED BY DEATH.” February 26, 1937, 32.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “Funeral Notices.” February 15, 1935, 4.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “Funeral Services Are Held Here For Frank A. Veltre.” February 27, 1937, 2.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “In Memoriam.” January 16, 1939, 20.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “MISS FULLER TO WED MR. VELTRE AT HOME CEREMONY IN HAPEVILLE.” May 26, 1929, 57.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “MR. AND MRS. VELTRE GIVE PICNIC.” July 6, 1923, 19.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “Mrs. Frank E. Veltre Laid To Rest From St. Anthony’s Church.” September 8, 1926, 3.
  • The Atlanta Journal. “VELTRE NOW HEADS MUSE TAILORING DEPARTMENT.” September 2, 1917, 53.
  • The Macon News. “Frank E. Veltre Dies in Atlanta.” February 26, 1937, 5.
  • The Macon Telegraph. “Frank E. Veltre Dies In Atlanta.” February 27, 1937, 8.
  • The Macon Telegraph. “THE AWARD FOR GOOD DRESSING.” April 1, 1902, 8.
  • The Macon Telegraph. “Veltre & Symans.” December 15, 1901, 10.
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