How The Gold Dust Twins Came To Haunt Auburn Avenue

The east side of 229 Auburn Avenue, formerly the branch office of the Atlanta Life insurance company. In the right corner, you’ll see the Gold Dust Twins advertisement.

STEPHANNIE STOKES/ / WABE

It’s not unusual to catch a glimpse of the past along Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue. Historic, and sometimes crumbling, buildings still stand from the early 1900s, when the street was a thriving African-American commercial district.

But recently, some have discovered a different kind of history on display in the neighborhood ─ a nearly century-old advertisement, uncovered by the 2008 tornado ─ and it’s serving as a grisly reminder of how African-Americans were once treated outside the Sweet Auburn community.

Then A Tornado Came Along…