Decatur Finally Gets Its Own “Images of America” Book
Decatur Metro | August 10, 2010
Both Eagle Eye and Blue Elephant Book Shop announce the arrival of “Images of America: Decatur”, a pictorial history of the city.
Here’s the official book synopsis and author bio:
Synopsis
Decatur proudly proclaims itself a city of “homes, schools, and places of worship.” While that motto might seem to describe any number of small towns, the words accurately capture the essence of Decatur, a place of fine and humble homes, well-regarded schools, and large, active churches. Founded by the Georgia legislature in 1823 to be the county seat of DeKalb County, Decatur took its name from Commodore Stephen Decatur, a U.S. naval hero of the early 1800s. In the years since, Decatur has grown into a busy suburb of neighboring Atlanta, produced Agnes Scott College, and attracted both the Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital and Columbia Theological Seminary. Decatur has been home to fascinating Georgians, including Civil War memoirist Mary Gay and writer Rebecca Latimer Felton, the first woman to be seated as a U.S. senator (if only for a day).
Biography
Veteran newspaper reporter and editor Joe Earle, a longtime Decatur resident, has assembled images from the DeKalb History Center, the archives of churches, and other Decatur institutions to show how the city has changed through the years. These images record Decatur’s growth from a quiet country village to a busy community at the center of a populous, suburban county.
The book can be purchased at either bookstore (not sure whether any other area bookstores have it in stock – let me know if you do!). Also, this Saturday August 14th, Eagle Eye will host an author reading and signing with Mr. Earle at 4:30p, preceded by a similar event by the author of Dunwoody’s just-released “Images of America”, Valerie Biggerstaff at 2pm.
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Can’t wait to get it. Also, I’d love to see a book focusing on the transformation Decatur has undergone in the last twenty years or so.
Now that would be cool, except I would start in the 1950’s. That is when Decatur really started to change; and not the way we see today.
Perhaps, but I’d be more interested in how Decatur got to where it is today from where it was in the 80’s. The city was moribund then. I’m a Decatur native, but I returned only 5 years ago after living outside of Metro Atlanta for about 15 years. I have only heard bits and pieces of the story of the city’s turnaround.
The reason I say that would be an interesting story is this: until the late 1960’s Oakhurst was nearly 100% middle to lower middle income white yet by the late 1970’s it was nearly all lower income to poverty level Black, and today it is appears at least 75% or more white , and middle to upper middle income at that. A history of these changes and an analysis of why they occurred, is what I think would be interesting. I would combine that history with the changes you are interested in. Do you have any grant $$ so I can get started with my research?
“Do you have any grant $$ so I can get started with my research?”
Ha! No, but I promise to buy the first copy. I guess I just assumed the changes from the 50’s to the 70’s were an example of the white flight typical of the era, but maybe there are nuances I’m not aware of . From my own experience, I grew up in South Decatur/Central Dekalb in the 70’s and early 80’s and my Mom was the first on the street to sell to a black family. Many of our neighbors never forgave her. I’m sure this is a common story.
Nutshell, as I understand it (DM, chime in!): Rick is correct about Oakhurst in the era before the late 60s. About that time, the area that is now Swanton Heights was leveled and a lot of displaced folks from that formerly African American neighborhood sought new residences in Oakhurst, which triggered the white flight that subsequently took place.
Beginning in the 90s, “urban pioneering”/gentrification started making an impact in Oakhurst, mostly with childless individuals or families with newborns. These efforts contributed to a more racially balanced neighborhood but it wasn’t until the school lines were redrawn that Oakhurst became a serious magnet for formerly risk-averse white family types. That’s when white residents made the jump from being a sizable minority to the near 75% you see today.
I think they also came from the neighborhoods in the path of the I-75/85expansion, the Atlanta Civic Center and the original ATL stadium. They were very poor. I read a GSU report that said upwards of 20,000+ African Americans were displaced by the “Negro Removal” programs of the 1960’s. A long-term resident of Oakhurst told me that Oakhurst ES changed almost over night one summer from all white to 80% Black.
I am still looking for that grant money. What would be interesting to me is not only what changed, but why.
That’s pretty much it.
I’m not sure what we classify as “Swanton Heights”, but the area of urban renewal in Decatur was much larger than just where that affordable housing is now.
From what I’ve read, the black neighborhood that was demolished stretched from South McDonough and where DHS is located, all the way over to where Trinity and DPD are today. The main stretch through “The Bottom” was Atlanta Avenue, which doesn’t even exist in this area of town anymore.
Decatur was the first city in Georgia to use urban renewal funding. It even beat Atlanta to the punch.
Interesting. What about the areas near downtown, like the Great Lakes neighborhoods? Did that area experience similar white flight and then a reversal?
Not that I am aware of. I believe they stayed primarily white through urban renewal and afterward.
The white flight seemed to be limited to all the areas south of the tracks, all the way from downtown ATL eastward to Decatur. They all changed quickly and now they are changing back, hopefully to remain more racially, if not economically, integrated.
Most areas north of downtown were fairly stable. Areas in the southeast part of the city were a little iffy for a while, but efforts by Agnes Scott College and others stabilized the area.
I have no idea if this is true, but when we were looking at houses about ten years ago, our real estate agent (a totally old school Southern Lady) told us that Winnona Park was one of the few neighborhoods that never went down in value in Decatur. She also flat out refused to let us buy a house on Fayetteville Rd, about two blocks from Oakhurst Village. She said she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night worrying about us in such a neighborhood!
I had a realtor like that too, about 12 years ago. I had hard enough time convincing her I didn’t like Brookhaven and wanted to look in Decatur, let alone anywhere south of the tracks! Being new to Atlanta and having a worried dad in tow, those admonitions stuck more than they should’ve.
Look how skinny those guys are. That must mean they didn’t drive to work.
Might have something do with being involved in sports too..but they probably didn’t drive to work, because their families generally would have had one car at most. Maybe not such a bad idea for some folks today. Wouldn’t Atlanta be a hell of a lot nicer place if most families had one car? Fewer malls maybe, but a lot less aggravation.
Not just exercise habits but also nutrition. Less processed food, less high fructose corn syrup, etc.
Is there a picture of DM in there? I will buy 37 copies for that.
I went by The Blue Elephant and picked this up. I love these books!
Since we’ve moved to Belvedere Park, just south of downtown Decatur- I’ve been researching the history of this area, Oakhurst, and Kirkwood. I love the history of all these areas.
The white flight out of South Decatur and the gentrification over the past 10-15 years is nothing unique to Decatur, Metro Atlanta or the nation.
By the way, Oakhurst proper is not yet 75% white! Maybe South Decatur as a whole, yes, but what most consider Oakhurst is about 60% white at the present time. Winnona is probably 90% white.