41-627: The Avanti (including the Avanti II ) is an American performance sports coupe based on the Studebaker Avanti and marketed through a succession of five different ownership arrangements between 1965 and 2006. After Studebaker 's December 20, 1963, closure of its South Bend factory and effective discontinuation of the auto with the 1964 model year, cars carrying the Avanti nameplate were initially produced from leftover Studebaker components, and later by
82-573: A brawl. The Slicks won the fight, and the Pony Club demanded a grand jury try the Slicks on charges of assault and battery with intent to kill. However, the jury ended up commending the Slicks and thanking them for their work. With the arrival of the new railroad line, Hixtown and Cheevestown combined to become the new city of Villa Rica. The first train rolled through town in June 1882. A round-trip ticket from
123-448: A famous blues musician known as Georgia Tom. After the death of his first wife and son, he returned to religious music , but the influence of the blues resulted in the creation of a new style of music which was eventually referred to as gospel. The second historical marker was erected in 2003 with information about the grove, the ancestral home of the Tyson family. Having moved here in 1853,
164-671: A new relationship with Ford Motor Company and was planning a big comeback". In early 2006, Kelly moved Avanti production to a new plant in Cancun , Mexico . Still, the company foundered after Kelly's arrest on fraud charges in December 2006 over a large Ponzi scheme he was running. The last Avanti rolled off the line in Cancun, Mexico in March 2006. All the Mustang-based Avantis used V8 engines, with
205-476: A parking lot for local businesses. The city also allowed Tanner Medical Center to demolish the old hospital (1955) which was built with the same architecture and used by the same collation of doctors. Villa Rica currently has four historical markers . The first one was erected in 1994 marking the birthplace of Thomas A. Dorsey , the father of gospel songs . Dorsey learned about music as a child at Mt. Prospect Baptist Church. After leaving Villa Rica, Dorsey became
246-449: A progressive agricultural building technique. The barn was designed by Floyd Lovell. It had two levels, the upper one smaller than the lower. At the time the barn was added, it was still generally structurally intact. The upper level is now completely gone, and the lower level is falling apart as well. The barn is privately owned, and it is unknown whether there are any plans to restore it. The North Villa Rica Commercial Historic District
287-421: A slightly modified version of the car in 1965 under the brand name "Avanti II". which initially had a 327 cu in (5.4 L) Chevrolet Corvette engine. This evolved to the 400 , then the small-block 350 , and then the 305 for 1981. The 305 cu in (5.0 L) V8 had electronic engine controls, 155 hp (116 kW), and GM's Turbo 350 automatic transmission with lock-up . Building one of
328-617: A small number of cars. Leo Newman ran the Studebaker truck parts division, which enabled the company to be profitable at its outset. According to Stu Chapman, Studebaker Director of Advertising & Public Relations 1964–1966, in his book "My Father The Car: Memoirs Of My Life With Studebaker", there was talk with Studebaker about reintroducing the Avanti to Studebaker showrooms in 1965/66, along with ambitious plans for rebadging an Isuzu Bellett as an entry-level Studebaker, and combining with Canadian Motor Industries. The Altman brothers introduced
369-686: Is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, but the completed nomination form is currently held up because of the controversy over the Old Library/Old Clinic for the past several years. The building is one of the most significant in West Georgia and a keystone of the proposed historic district. The city and the Downtown Development Authority desired to tear down the oldest International design Old Clinic. Built as
410-661: Is impacted by hurricanes , sometimes severely. Tornadoes are a more common occurrence in the area, although not usually as severe as those that occur in the midwest United States. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 16,970 people, 5,166 households, and 3,766 families residing in the city, up from 13,956 in 2010 and 4,134 in 2000. As of 2020 of the Villa Rica residents, 8,367 lived in Carroll County and 5,589 lived in Douglas County. Areas in Carroll County are in
451-602: Is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km ), or 1.04%, is water. Villa Rica sits on the ridgeline that separates the Chattahoochee and the Tallapoosa river basins. Slightly more than half of Villa Rica lies within Carroll County, and the remainder lies within Douglas County. Villa Rica has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification system , with hot, humid summers and mild to chilly winters. On average,
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#1732869138469492-590: Is placed in the Atlanta metropolitan area . Additionally, there are unincorporated areas in Paulding County with Villa Rica postal addresses. The location which was to become Villa Rica was originally settled in 1826 along what is now Dallas Highway . This land was ceded by the Creek people in 1825 with the second Treaty of Indian Springs signed by Chief William McIntosh . In 1826, farmers and gold miners arrived in
533-571: The Avanti Motor Company from General Motors and Ford chassis and engines. A small and often interrupted stream of increasingly modified cars was made before all production ceased in 2006. After Studebaker ended production at South Bend on December 20, 1963, the "Avanti" model name, tooling, Studebaker truck production rights, as well as parts and plant space were bought by local Studebaker dealers, Nate and Arnold Altman and Leo Newman, who incorporated as Avanti Motor Corporation and hand-built
574-681: The Carroll County School District , while areas in Douglas County are in the Douglas County School District . The Carroll County School District provides education from pre-school through grade twelve and consists of twelve elementary schools, six middle schools, and five high schools. As of 2019–20, the district has 945 full-time teachers and 15,005 students. Schools located in Villa Rica include: The Douglas County School District operates an elementary school located in Villa Rica. New Georgia Elementary School
615-463: The Union Passenger Depot in Atlanta was only $ 1.00. This young community experienced two disastrous fires almost immediately. The first fire occurred in the business section on Montgomery Street in 1890. An entire block of stores composed entirely of wooden buildings was destroyed. The second fire occurred the night of July 27, 1908. The fire was bolstered by heating oil and chemicals from
656-550: The 1980s Avanti IIs required 10 to 12 weeks, depending on special color or upholstery orders. The last Avanti II made came off the line with a V6 engine from Roush, and only one was made. After Nate Altman's death, Arnold Altman ran the company until it was sold in 1982. From 1963 through 1985, Avanti IIs were built on the Studebaker-designed chassis, then the Chevrolet Monte Carlo chassis was used; Chevy discontinued
697-704: The Avanti II model began in the mid-1960s. A new convertible body style along with an all-new and lighter backbone chassis that was designed by Herb Adams, a former Pontiac engineer, using a torque tube with a 1985 Chevrolet Corvette aluminum rear end and independent suspension . These plans were shelved in favor of the G-body Monte Carlo chassis as it could accept Chevrolet V8s. The newly approved rectangular headlights with matching openings were introduced along with plastic body-colored bumpers. Each car took eight to ten weeks to hand-build. Shortly after introducing
738-633: The Avanti's introduction. In 1989, Cafaro lost faith in the original coupe and introduced a four-door version, of which 90 were built. Only 405 Avantis were made in four years at the Youngstown plant, which closed in 1991. Kelly repurchased the company in 1999. He moved its operations from Ohio to Georgia and produced redesigned Avanti automobiles in Villa Rica from 2000 to 2005. From 2004, Ford Mustang chassis and engines were used. In October 2005, an Internet report said, "Avanti Motors [had] recently announced
779-530: The Berry-Powell-Berry Clinic, the doctors chose cutting-edge architecture to showcase their practice as cutting edge. Built in 1951, the building later served as the Old Library and then again as a clinic. After several years of efforts to save the structure, the city tore it down in December 2007. Previously insisting for years on the need for parking, immediately after demolition the site was made into
820-519: The Mark II Avanti, the company declared bankruptcy, and Blake resigned in February 1986. The Avanti Motor Company was purchased by Michael Eugene Kelly , whose ownership was very brief because the company's ownership changed in 1987. The "II" was dropped from the car's name and all subsequent cars were called the "Avanti". The company then had second-generation Avanti styling originated by Tom Kellogg,
861-525: The Monte Carlo in 1987, and Avanti switched to the Chevrolet Caprice chassis. On October 1, 1982, real-estate developer Stephen H. Blake bought the rights to the Avanti II. The state of Indiana guaranteed $ 1.9 million in loans to Avanti as part of the financial package offered Blake when he bought the company. Modifications were introduced to the car, which had remained unchanged since the production of
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#1732869138469902-450: The Pony Club, and the vigilantes were the Slicks. At first, the Slicks would just hold Pony Club members caught stealing horses until a jury trial could be held. But Pony Club members usually had no trouble finding witnesses to prove their innocence, so the Slicks eventually started holding their own trials and the guilty were whipped. Things came to a head during the election of 1832 when large numbers of Pony Club members and Slicks got into
943-462: The Southern Railroad line. The Williams Family Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 2005. The farm-house, built in 1892, is in excellent condition and sits in front of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp established in 1937 to help struggling farmers with their cotton fields. There are several outbuildings and an historic landscape. This farm is also known as
984-563: The Tysons are among the oldest families in Villa Rica. The third historical marker was erected in 2007 on the 50th anniversary of the Villa Rica Explosion. The explosion was caused by a gas leak in Berry's Pharmacy which completely destroyed that building and three neighboring buildings. Twelve people died and twenty others were injured. In terms of injury and loss of life, the explosion remains
1025-588: The Williams-Mitchell Farm. The Pine Mountain Gold Museum at Stockmar Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The 1826 gold rush of the city, called "Georgia's Forgotten Gold Rush", was at Stockmar Park, and a museum was built to tell the story. The remains of some original buildings and equipment are on site, along with a stamp mill, grist mill, panning area, and live farm animal exhibit. The South Commercial Historic District
1066-589: The area from Pennsylvania , New Jersey and Delaware to what was then known as "Hixtown" (named after a local tavern operator, incorporated in 1830). One mile south was Chevestown, owned by Allison Cheeves. Hixtown and Cheevestown moved to Villa Rica's present location in 1882 when the railroad was built. Many of the original structures were physically moved to the new site (now known as the North Villa Rica Commercial Historic District ) by rolling them on logs pulled by horses. The city
1107-455: The area, with several hundred men employed in nearby mines. In 1832, Hixtown had over 2,000 residents (60% of the county's population). Gold lots were $ 500 per acre compared to $ 2 per acre for land elsewhere in the county. There were at least 19 active gold mines. By 1860, the gold supplies in the area had been largely exhausted. Early Villa Rica had a Wild West atmosphere complete with Indians , horse thieves, and vigilante justice. The area
1148-543: The center of the city, leading west 6 miles (10 km) to Temple and east 10 miles (16 km) to Douglasville . Interstate 20 passes through the southern part of the city with access from exits 24 and 26, and leads east 32 miles (51 km) to Atlanta and west 55 miles (89 km) to Oxford, Alabama . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37.3 km ), of which 14.2 square miles (36.9 km )
1189-470: The details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 110831302 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 08:32:18 GMT Villa Rica, Georgia Villa Rica / ˌ v ɪ l ə ˈ r ɪ k ə / (Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese translation: Rich Village) is a city in Carroll and Douglas counties in the U.S. state of Georgia . Villa Rica
1230-498: The drug store in which it started. Because of the strength of the fire, much of the focus was on saving the stock of the affected stores. In all, one-quarter of Villa Rica's business district was destroyed in three hours. In 1957 an explosion caused by a gas leak destroyed four buildings and killed 12 people. The Bankhead Highway was surveyed and eventually passed through Villa Rica in 1917. Named for Democratic U.S. Senator (from 1907 until his death in 1920) John H. Bankhead , it
1271-528: The most catastrophic event in Carroll County history. The fourth was erected 2011 by Villa Rica Historic Preservation Commission. While the resolve of the freedom riders was challenged by violence elsewhere, they passed through Villa Rica without serious incident on May 14, 1961. On September 21, 2009, the biggest flood in Georgia 's history impacted Villa Rica. It caused nearly 500 million dollars in damage to
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1312-498: The option of a Ford V6. Only one 2006 Avanti was built with a Ford V6 engine. The factory and showroom were emptied in 2011 and have been sold. Many extremely rare Studebaker and Avanti concepts and racing vehicles on the second floor of the building in Cancun have been moved elsewhere and/or sold. Sports coupe Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
1353-456: The state. This event caused damage to water lines and infrastructure , causing many of the residents to go without water for nearly a week. Villa Rica is located in northeastern Carroll County, northwestern Douglas County and Unincorporated Paulding County at 33°43′55″N 84°55′12″W / 33.73194°N 84.92000°W / 33.73194; -84.92000 (33.731909, -84.919982). U.S. Route 78 ( Bankhead Highway ) passes through
1394-509: The warmest month is July. The highest recorded temperature was 103 °F (39 °C) in 1980. On average, the coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature was −9 °F (−23 °C) in 1985. The most precipitation on average occurs in March. Despite its significant physical distance from the Gulf of Mexico (250 miles) and the Atlantic Ocean (260 miles), on rare occasion Villa Rica
1435-471: The youngest member of the original Studebaker Avanti design team. The company was acquired and run from 1987 until 1991 by John J. Cafaro. With the financial assistance of the State of Ohio, he moved all Avanti production from South Bend – its birthplace – to Youngstown, Ohio . In 1988 and 1989, Avanti made two-door coupes and a convertible. The 1988 Avanti was called the "Silver Year" models, marking 25 years since
1476-515: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 20, 1980. Located about 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Villa Rica on Hickory Level Road, the farm consists of a 19th-century farmhouse, several other outbuildings, and the famous round barn. Built in 1917, the Round Barn is quite significant architecturally due to its circular shape. When constructed, this would have been considered
1517-470: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 2002. This district includes several blocks of buildings, some dating back to 1875, which were built in the early commercial style. The area houses the City of Villa Rica Police Department along with several antique stores, restaurants, and other commercial businesses. The boundary is basically North Avenue, East Gordon Street, West Church Street, and
1558-456: Was incorporated as Villa Rica in 1881. The name Villa Rica is derived from the Spanish for "rich village", and the city's name change was done to help promote the gold that had been found in the area. Shortly after the arrival of the wagons in 1826, gold was discovered there. 1826 was also the year that Carroll County was created and named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton , Maryland , because he
1599-680: Was originally part of the Creek Nation , but the Indians were driven out of their lands after the Treaty of Washington in 1826 and by 1827, there were no more Creek in Georgia. Most moved west into Alabama, but there, too, they faced the avarice of white settlers, who sparked a brief war in 1836 that ended with the forcible removal of all of the Creek from Alabama to Oklahoma as well. The local horse thieves were known as
1640-582: Was the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence . Although it did not develop into the large gold rush that would strike Georgia a few years later, there was a small gold rush in Villa Rica in the late 1820s. When the Georgia Gold Rush took hold in 1829, most of the Villa Rica miners moved northeast to the Dahlonega area. Villa Rica was established in 1830. Nevertheless, some mining continued in
1681-509: Was the second transcontinental highway in the United States and the first all-weather one. In the 1930s it was rerouted through town, taking down the Velvin Hotel and extending Montgomery Street westward. It was a main east–west route through the area until Interstate 20 opened in December 1977. On May 14, 1961, Freedom Riders passed through Villa Rica. The Dorough Round Barn and Farm