 By 1880, however, the Georgia marble industry was suffering.However, the construction of the Marietta and North Georgia Railway allowed the stone to reach new markets, and the Tate family founded the Georgia Marble Company in 1884 in response to growing business and newly interested investors.In 1905, Tate's grandson, Colonel Sam Tate, became president and general manager of the company, and oversaw a period of dramatic growth and profit.