Junius Hillyer

Junius Hillyer (April 23, 1807 – June 21, 1886) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician who served two terms in the United States Congress.

Early years and education Junius Hillyer was born in Wilkes County, Georgia, on April 23, 1807, the second son of Shaler and Rebecca (Freeman) Hillyer. His father died when Junius was fourteen, prompting his mother to move the family to Athens, Georgia. After the Civil War, Hillyer moved to Decatur, Georgia, where he maintained a residence for the rest of his life.

Judicial service In 1834, at age 27, Hillyer was elected as the Solicitor General of the Western Judicial Circuit of Georgia. he also served as a Trustee for Mercer University.

Hillyer died at his home in Decatur, Georgia, on June 21, 1886 and was buried in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.

Junius Hillyer married the former Jane Selina Watkins in 1831. They had five sons, one of whom died at age 30 or 31 while the other four, including Eben Hillyer, obtained success in their respective fields, and either three or four daughters. One of his sons, George Hillyer, was a prominent Georgia politician who led a regiment in the Confederate States Army at the Battle of Gettysburg and later served in the state legislature, as a Judge, and as Mayor of Atlanta.

Junius Hillyer's interest in the economic growth of his boyhood home of Athens prompted him to invest, at an early age, in the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, which was first chartered in 1833. It was the first railroad built in the state. The railroad eventually extended a line to a spot near the old Creek Indian village of Standing Peachtree.Because it was the end of the line, the community took on the name "Terminus". Several name changes later, Terminus became Atlanta.