Smokey Hollow Commemoration

Smokey Hollow Commemoration. Cascades Park. Oftentimes, in the studies of urban life, the people who are best able to tell the story are those who experienced it personally. Such is the case with the history of Smokey Hollow in Cascades Park. Thanks to Blueprint 2000, the John G. Riley House and Museum and former residents of Smokey Hollow, this story can be told. Over a three year period, these entities have woven an oral tapestry that reveals a picture of life prior to the impact of urban renewal on a once viable community., Smokey Hollow was demolished through urban renewal in the 1960s. It was a segregated community comprised of families, a school, churches, community gardens, cafes, juke joints and many other businesses. Residents of Smokey Hollow identified the location of their homes as "quarters" named after the landlords from whom they rented. These quarters served as a unifying sense of place for the families. The John G. Riley, Baser Kilpatrick and Mackie Boyd p quarters were among the rental properties of black landowners. The Marvin Collins, Gudenrath and Council quarters were among the rental properties of white landowners., The Baldwins, Fishers, Mosleys, Cooks, Ashes, McCrays, Whites and Johnsons were some of the black property and business owners in the community. Through the years, these families, along with more than 80 other families in Smokey Hollow, served as anchors of this once thriving independent African American community., (sidebar) , Who is John Gilmore Riley? , Mr. Riley was an educator and civic leader of Smokey Hollow. His home still stands one block from the commemoration site. The house now serves as the John G. Riley House and Museum, which commemorates his legacy and serves as an educational tool for the community., (Captions) , Published and distributed by The League of Voters of Tallahassee, Florida , 1954 aerial of Smokey Hollow Neighbor , Homes along Meridian Street in Smokey Hollow, Tallahassee, Florida, 1958. State Archives of Florida