Yolande Gwin was a popular reporter and columnist for the Atlanta Constitution and Atlanta Journal newspapers. She often wrote for the society pages, but also covered other stories and wrote advice columns. She started out writing for the Atlanta Georgian newspaper in 1927, then for the Atlanta Constitution from 1934 until 1961. It was interesting to me to discover that she lived in Brookhaven for many years.

I first read her work while researching some of the Atlanta families who owned summer  homes in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. She wrote about parties the affluent families had at these second homes. Some of these articles contain a humorous comment about the long drive from Atlanta to the summer home suggesting the guests don’t plan to ever make that drive again.

I discovered a copy of her book at my mom’s house. “Yolande’s Atlanta: From the Historical to the Hysterical” was published in 1983. Another book by Gwin is titled, “I Remember Margaret Mitchell.”

Gwin was born in 1905 in Mobile, Alabama. She attended Washington Seminary, which later became part of Westminster School. She started out writing a column called “Polly Peachtree” for the Atlanta Georgian newspaper in 1927, then began with the Atlanta Constitution in 1934 writing “Sally Forth” and continued under other columm names and her own name until 1961.

Yolande lived with her parents, Mary and James Gwin, in a Brookhaven home on the west side of Peachtree Road from 1923 until 1953. When they purchased the home, they considered themselves to be in the country. Yolande Gwin’s mother described Brookhaven as “lonely, deserted, countryside.” (Atlanta Constitution, “Gwin Family Gives up to Brookhaven Business,” January 7, 1953)

The 1950 census shows Yolande living at 4014 Peachtree Road in North Atlanta, today’s Brookhaven, along with her parents.

The Atlanta Constitution reported in 1953 that the Gwins sold their home to Moses Leff, who stated he had no particular plan for it at the time. As the Gwins prepared to leave their Brookhaven home, they were nostalgic. The frame home was surrounded by pine trees and a white picket fence but it was also the last house in the center of the Brookhaven business section. On one side of their home sat the Brookhaven Theatre, and on the other side was a supermarket. They didn’t complain about being so close to local businesses, instead saying it was convenient.

Mrs. Gwin remembered that when they first moved in the house, the nearest fire station was in Decatur. When they moved in 1953, there was a fire station across Peachtree Road. They didn’t move very far, just south on Peachtree Road where it meets Vermont Road.  

Gwin also had advice columns in the newspapers. The following is a sample of the advice of Gwin, appearing in her “It’s Right Here” column from November 16, 1961.

Dear Yolande: When an unmarried woman is invited to a party should she take an escort or go alone?  Yolande’s answer: Don’t go alone ever. As for an escort, the host should either arrange for your escort by sending someone for you, give you the privilege of selecting your favorite man or call you and tell you what bachelors are coming and let you take your pick. Better get yourself a steady beau-then there won’t be that zero hour when you are dateless.

I’m not sure what to say to those suggestions, except, well it was 1961.