About Us:

The founding father of Atlas was Judge Norman Davison who arrived in 1831 from Livingston County, New York. He cleared the land and built a house for his family near the river on the site where the Atlas Country Club now stands. He erected a sawmill in 1833 and a gristmill in 1836. The town was first known as Davisonville. In later years the name was changed from Davisonville to Atlas due to confusion with the mail between the town and the Davison Station on the Grand Trunk Railroad.

For the next several years many more settlers came to the town. The first blacksmith, Enas Rockafellow, arrived in 1837. Fitch R. Tracy started a mercantile business in the late 1830's. Dr. Elbridge Gale started his practice in Atlas in 1837. Due to his interest in tanning, sheep were introduced to this area. With the coming of sheep, Oliver Palmer built a wool carding and stock dressing business. A woolen mill was erected next to the gristmill during the 1850's. The first tavern appeared on the scene in 1840. Noah Hull, as a carpenter and millwright, helped build many of the businesses and houses after his arrive in 1846. Furniture for the town's people was made by the local cabinet maker, Mr. James Shields. Residents could have their shoes repaired or have new ones made by the shoemaker, James Lobban. There were many other settlers who contributed to the prosperity of Atlas.
The town had many services to offer its residents. The first post office was started in 1837 with Norman Davison as the postmaster. The Atlas Post Office is considered one of the oldest in the state. Two churches served the community, Second Methodist Episcopal Church and Atlas Baptist Church. A library was organized in 1868 by thirteen pioneer ladies. With the increase of families coming to the area, a school was started in 1837.

By the turn of the century, Atlas was still a thriving town. Descendants of Dr. Gale owned a grocery store plus a tile and brickyard. The bricks were used in several of the buildings in the area. When the automobiles became popular, Clarence Leach started a gas station around 1915. A milk station was used until 1948 by the dairy farmers to handle the transportation of their products.

Through the years, the number of businesses has been depleted. A few are left today in Atlas. The town is mostly a residential area; however, travelers can still see some of the old buildings from the past.