Wadley is located on the west bank of the Tallapoosa River in southwest Randolph County. It was born circa 1901 with the advent of the new Atlanta-Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad and named for George Dole Wadley who was vice president and general manager of the railroad construction work. It was incorporated on September 15. 1908 with a population of 333. The first store was owned by the first mayor Minus H. Radney who supplied materials for the construction of the railroad. Still standing today is the railroad’s unusual depot, costing more than $12.000 to build, and described as “one of the handsomest along the line” in the October 6, 1908 Roanoke Leader newspaper supplement.