By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
After months of brain storming, researching, writing, editing and reviewing the City of Forsyth & Monroe County African American Heritage self guided tour is complete and ready for locals and visitors to explore. The easily hand-held guide tells the fascinating stories of 19 places and 24 people with ties to Monroe County who touched history either locally or beyond.
As the interest in African American Heritage has grown, several leaders in Monroe County felt the African American legacy here was too rich not to share it. They saw the need to organize information and provide an easy starting point for those wishing to explore it. And they helped avert the danger of historical details fading if they aren’t captured and recorded.
Georgia Humanities Council awarded a $2,000 grant to the Forsyth Convention & Visitors Bureau and collaboration began with Hubbard Alumni Association and Monroe County Historical Society, with the three groups providing matching funds as well as their knowledge and expertise.
A committee of Ralph Bass, Herbert Gantt, Winifred Berry, Rosemary Walker, Larry Evans and Gilda Stanbery worked individually and together to make the project a reality. Stanbery said one of the first decisions the committee made was to exclude living individuals from the Guide. This cut the list of possible people to include by 25-30 percent, making it more manageable.
After bringing to the table every name that might apply, the committee organized the Monroe County African American Heritage tour by history, timeline, map and stories of people and places. The committee reached out to family members and others for pictures and stories and worked to verify all the information they wanted to share in the tour guide.
“It was truly a privilege to work with people in the community, gathering information and often their family photos,” said Berry.
“This self-guided tour is meant to be a starting point in exploring the journey of African Americans in our community,” said Stanbery, who authored the grant that made the tour guide possible. “It contains some brief biographical information on those that shaped our history; a timeline critical to putting events into context; and a brief driving tour to link people and place.”
She said the roots of the project began as the Hubbard Alumni Association joined with the CVB and Monroe County Historical Society in welcoming people from around Georgia to Monroe County’s Historic sites for a Georgia Trust Expedition in the summer of 2019. Another important precursor was developing the Forsyth City Cemetery Guide & Tour.
On the front of the tour guide is a picture of Dr. Luetta T. Boddie with her two sons. Dr. Boddie and her husband provided medical care to African American and white residents of Monroe County from 1906-1943. They were active throughout the community and lived at 172 College Street. Their sons also became physicians and practiced in Detroit and Los Angeles.
The tour features educational, religious, political and business leaders, plus those who contributed by supporting others, like Lee Battle who became known for mentoring and encouraging countless students at Mercer University, where he worked.
Stanbery said besides committee members two other very important people in the production of the Guide were Bass’s daughter, Paquita, and Stanbery’s daughter, Taylor, who spent many hours editing and giving their perspective on how to create the best final product. She credited the graphic designers who helped make the brochure attractive and useable.
Forsyth & Monroe County African American Heritage Guide & Tour is available for free at the Welcome Center, the historic Hubbard Women’s Dorm and Workforce Development Center and Monroe County Historical Society Museum. A digital version will be available on www.forsythcvb.com , www.mchsga.org and www.hubbardalumni.org
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