money to buy a grocery store of his own. 16 The grocery store was located at Maple and Magnolia Streets and he and his family lived above the store. 17
The names given to places and streets are important as they connote what is valued in a place’s history and its story. The Battle of Atlanta took place July 22, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the Civil War. 18 Interestingly, the Confederacy’s defensive line was to traverse across Butler Steet and Buttermilk Bottom; however, they routed north across the ridgeline where Boulevard is today to North Avenue and Ponce de Leon Avenue; then west to arrive at Fort K which was at where the intersection of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon is today. 19 The main street that ran through Buttermilk Bottom was named Forrest Avenue to memorialize Nathan Bedford Forrest, a prominent figure in the Civil War. Forrest was born July 13, 1821, he had a hard scrabble life, becoming the breadwinner of his family after his father’s death. Much of Forrest's work centered on enslaved Africans; he worked in law enforcement and engaged in the buying and selling of enslaved people. By 1850, he bought cotton plantations in Mississippi, making him one of the wealthiest men in the South. 20 He later lost his wealth and worked as a manager of a prison farm. 21 Forrest Avenue was renamed Ralph McGill Boulevard in honor of the Editor of The Atlanta Constitution , who wrote a column challenging the status quo and advocating for a better South. The renaming of the street to Ralph McGill Boulevard reflected a more progressive mindset occurring in Atlanta during the 1980s. However, this interest to call forth a new narrative was juxtaposed over a failed and forgotten neighborhood, which was razed as part of Atlanta’s plan toward the progress and modernization of the city.
16 "Obituary Dziewinski”
17 "Obituary Dziewinski”
18 Battle of Atlanta Facts”, American History Central. https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/battle-of- atlanta-1864-facts/ 19 Wood, “The Bedford Pine Neighborhood.” p.2. 20 "Nathan Bedford Forest," American History Central . https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/nathan- bedford-forrest/ 21 "Nathan Bedford Forest," American History Central . https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/nathan- bedford-forrest/
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