In the Name of “Progress”

In the Name of “Progress”. Community, Culture, and Commerce . 22nd Street South Corridor. , Sno-Peak Drive In: The Place to Be, 2208 Fairfield Avenue S. , Opened in 1953, Leila Bowers was the long time owner of this local ice cream shop beloved by children. With the assistance of Bowers’s brother, cook Johnny Martin, the stand became known for much more. Local resident, Gwen Reese, recalled sweet memories:, “As a teen I recall the excitement of meeting up with friends in the parking lot for chicken gizzards with hot sauce, or a chicken sandwich with mayo...And what would either of them be without Sno-Peak's tasty french fries? If you weren't old enough to go into the Manhattan, you could always gather at Sno-Peak to listen to musicians play their soul-stirring, hip-shaking music. And in the heat of the Civil Rights Movement, Sno-Peak was where we gathered to hear Stokely Carmichael talk to black and white, young and old, about our role in helping to change conditions in America.", Johnson’s Realty, 800 22nd Street S. , After arriving in St. Petersburg in 1934, Cleveland Johnson, Sr. met white real estate agent Herman Meincke, who encouraged him to pursue training. Opening Johnson’s Realty in 1900, he became the first licensed African-American real estate broker in St. Petersburg. Frequently not accepting a commission from clients, he encouraged buyers to put it toward their down payment. A political activist, Johnson founded the Community Democratic Club and was active in the Pinellas County Democratic Executive Committee. Starting in 1967, his son, Cleveland Johnson. Jr, served as long time editor and owner of The Weekly Challenger, which provided a positive voice for the city's African-American community., The Interstate , Because black residents were required to stay in their own neighborhoods, they created their own businesses to serve their needs. By 1946, 38 businesses operated on 22nd Street, which grew to 100 by 1960. An estimated 75 percent were African-American owned. With the 1978-80 construction of the interstate, the community was cut in half, and the northern section disintegrated., Geech’s Bar-B-Q Pig Meat, 802 22nd Street S. , John “Geech” Black started his legendary barbecue stand in 1938 and operated it through parts of six decades at several locations along 22nd Street. Late night revelers, out-of-town guests, and students alike made a special effort to grab a pig-meat sandwich, spiced with his trademark yellow BBQ sauce., Lost Businesses , Kilgore’s Drugs . Jay’s Pharmacy . Eddie’s Shoe Shine and Repair . Lawrence Clark Confections . Citizen’s Lunch . Harlem Cafe . Morton’s Restaurant . B&B Lunchonette . Newkirk’s Steak House . Dr. Eugene Rose’s and Dr. Orien’s Ayer’s offices . Dixieland Beer Parlor . Flower Brothers and Jones Furniture store . Joe Yates, Buddy West, and William Harrington’s Barber Shops . Jewell Ford’s Beauty Shop . Ernest Fillyan Photography . Central Life Insurance Company, (captions) , Photo courtesy of Irene Pridgen, Geech’s stand was demolished for the construction of I-275. Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times , , Construction of I-275 looking west toward the 22nd Street neighborhood. Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times , , Stokely Carmichael, national leader of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, speaks to a group of about 400 people at the 1967 outdoor rally in front of Sno-Peak. Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times , , 22nd Street S looking north from Harrington Avenue S in 1963. Hula’s Market , 831 22nd Street S in left foreground. By 1977, these buildings would be demolished for interstate construction. Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Times , , 22nd Street S looking north from the interstate. Photo courtesy of Marketing Department City of St. Petersburg.