[4] Atlanta was laid out in 1883 when the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was extended to that point.

They included a grocery store, post office, cafe, and a tourist shop for drivers on U.S. Route 6, as well as corn and grain elevators and two gas stations.

At the beginning of World War II, there was one street, approximately two blocks long, with only a few business buildings drooping and dwindling along its edges.

The Atlanta area had been the final choice of the U.S. Army to establish a $2 million POW camp after the outbreak of World War II.

When construction began in September 1943 people were told this would be a "Conchie Camp" for the conscientious objectors from the United States.

By November it became known by locals that Atlanta would be a prisoner-of-war camp expected to guard German prisoners.

Soldiers were hired out to local farms to help retrieve the increased crop production demanded by the war.

More than 30 local farmers sought assistance, paying the government for work completed by the POWs.

[4] According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.23 square miles (0.60 km2), all land.