History of Berkeley Park Part V

Margaret Green - Resident since 1966

Margaret grew up off Lindburg Drive and attended old E. River School and North Fulton. She and her husband, John married in 1937 and moved to Berkeley Park in 1966. They owned Green Bag Company which made and sold different types of burlap and cotton bags. Later John worked at B&H Boiler Works for over 40 years. John was born on Marietta Street at Fort Hood Place. Another existing resident remembers John very well and recalled that "It is highly unlikely you would ever meet a man as happy, smiling, honestly glad to greet you, as Johnny Green!" Margaret worked for Elliott's Business Machines for 18 years, which later changed names to Dymo, located on Antone Street in Berkeley Park. She still works as a bookkeeper for her son, Eddie Green, who is also a resident of Berkeley Park.

Eddie Green - Resident since 1971

Eddie's father, John did some business with a fellow named Obar Hawkins. Obar built most of the steps and chimneys on Berkeley Avenue. Eddie can remember playing on Berkeley Avenue, while his father was conducting business with Obar, when he was between the age of 5 to 8 years. Eddie's family lived on a dairy farm off DeFoors Ferry. He road the street car frequently and attended E.P. Howell School. Eddie remembers when a section of Collier Road that was west of Howell Mill was still a dirt road. When it would rain, the road would wash out. Then the city began laying rock and tar on the road and Eddie would attempt riding his bike over it. The rock and tar would stick real thick on his bike and him. When he returned home his mother proclaimed, "You are not worth cleaning up!".

Dorothy Gregory - Resident since 1941

Dorothy's husband was in WWII. He was in the 10th Mountain Division in Italy. His parents lived next door to their home, which was built in 1940. Mr. Gregory and his father owned and operated a plumbing company from their home. The Gregory's built a fish pond at the back door. Once, the city's water main broke, increasing the water level in the creek at the back of their property and flooding their fish pond and yard.

Katherine Kent - Resident since 1927

Katherine was actually born in her existing home on Holmes Street. Her home was first owned by her grandparents and then her parents - 3 generations of her family. Her grandparents purchased the lot in 1910 for $750, paying $10 down and $10 per month. Her father, Robert William Kent worked with Davison Paxon. Katherine attended E.P. Howell School and never married. While there were many opportunities to marry, she choose instead to take care of her parents "in this very house" until they passed away. Katherine worked at Davidson Paxon, (Macy's purchased later) and then worked at Butterick Fashion Marketing for over 37 years. Katherine remembers the days of the soap-box derby on Northside Drive well.

Johnnie Lanier - Resident since 1949

Johnnie grew up in this area and attended Rossville School off of Moores Mill. Johnnie and her husband, Aaron puchased their home in 1949. They are the original owners of the home. Apparently their lot was used as a dump site before their home was built, since it was sloping down a hill, people could just throw their debris down the hill. Aaron worked for Seaboard Railroad for 37 years. He often walked to work. A lot of the employees ate at a restaurant called the "Comic." Johnnie worked at the Comic for 12 years. Frank and Jessie Mae Gormon owned the Comic. Johnnie has a son who attended E.P. Howell.

Gwen Langston - Resident since 1961

Gwen was born and raised around the Georgia Tech area. She visited friends that lived in Berkeley Park. When Gwen was 6 years old her family purchased a home on DeFoors. Gwen attended E.P. Howell and then West Fulton, which brings to mind one of her first memories of the streetcars. "We would walk from our house on DeFoor Avenue to the corner of Howell Mill Road to catch the streetcar for wherever we wanted to go. We did not have an automobile and this was our only mode of transportation. I suppose at times we looked like a line of ducks as we walked the distance." When Gwen married her husband, Bill, they also lived for about 17 years on DeFoors. In 1961 they purchased a home on Berkeley Avenue, which they resided in for 12 years before purchasing their second on Berkeley. Bill worked and retired with Seaboard Railroad. Bill often ate at the rail yard restaurant, called the "Grab". One day he brought Gwen home a relic from the Grab, a large sugar bowl that held about 1 pound of sugar which was used on a table at the restaurant. Gwen and their 2 children often used the train for trips to a variety of places.

Antone Street Tigers - The Red Diamond 1st Row: Oscar Owens, Ted Horton, Byron Patterson, ?, Jim Irwin 2nd Row: Harold Chadwick, Doug Norton, Darwin White, Wallace Jones, Red Spruell 3rd Row: Lanier Buice, Joe Wilhoit, Otis Spruell, Walter Herdon, Chub Kile

Philip Massey - Resident since 1959

Philip lived at 793 Berkeley as a teenager. They did not have air conditioning so sometimes he would sleep on the porch. Philip remembers a baseball diamond, they call it the "Red Diamond", where the "Antone Street Tigers" played ball. It occupied an area near Berkeley Avenue and Antone Street. Philip attended E.P. Howell School and Fulton High. He often rode the street cars and remembers watching the trolley conductor reverse the seats and steering column at the end of the line at Collier Road. The fare was 10 cents for adults and 5 cents for school children. Philip remembers studying by lamp light. He played the trombone at Fulton High School and remembers Floyd Lamb ("Peanut") who lived on Holmes and also played the trombone. Philip's father was in car sales. Philip worked for Keen Edge Company, a hardware store on Edgewood for 36 years. It is still there today. He purchased his present home in 1959 and paid less than $12,000. One of the members of Northside Park Baptist Church remembers Philip, "After Sunday School I would run up to the Choir room to visit a great man, Philip Massey. I would tell him about the past week's events and give him the pictures I made that morning in Sunday School. Philip would always give me money for the church collection. I used to love to show Philip the new dress that 'Nin' (Gwen Langston), had made special for me."

Katie McKenzie - Resident since 1962

Katie was born in Summerville, Georgia and her husband, Taylor Conley, "Shorty", was born in Trion, Georgia. Katie's parents were farmers. In 1960 Katie and Shorty purchased their present home, which was built in the 1940's, from Herb Miller. Conley's uncle lived in Grant Park and encouraged them to move into the area. Katie and Conley have a son. Conley worked Seaboard Railroad and retired from there after 34 years. Conley often had lunch at the "Grab" restaurant. Katie remembers "Conley would run his hunting dogs on the land where the Castlegate Hotel and I-75 are now located". She also remembers, "The old wooden streetcars on Howell Mill Road and the old water tank at the railroad yard on Chattahoochee Avenue." When Conley first went to work for the railroad he made 36 cents per hour, $85 per month. Katie worked at several places, Automatic Spooler, Nurser, Bra Plant, Sun Halter Plant, and Dymo Industrial and Fulton Bag Cotton Mill. Katie made $15 a week at the Fulton Bag Cotton Mill in 1941.

Ruby Parker - Resident since 1958

Three generations of Ruby's family have lived in Berkeley Park. Ruby was born and raised on a farm that was within several yards of Berkeley Park, approximately where I-75 and Northside Drive exist today. Ruby's father, Edward Born grew and sold vegetables to the local grocers, including Springer Grocery. He delivered his goods with a mule and horse. They never owned a vehicle. Ruby had 12 siblings and she attended the original Evan P. Howell Grammar School on Bowen Street, on the west side of Howell Mill Road. Ruby remembers Mrs. Spencer, who owned a large farm that occupied an area that today would be the corner of Bellemeade Avenue, west of Howell Mill Road. This was before 1928, when Evan P. Howell was built. Mrs. Spencer would not allow the city to cut a road through her land, so people would drive their cars or horses through her land to get between what is now a section of Northside Drive and Bellemeade Avenue, in order to access Howell Mill Road. Mrs. Spencer's farm house was located at what would today be the corner of Northside Drive and Bellemeade Avenue. James Edwards, Ruby's husband, worked for and retired from Gaylord Paper Company. Ruby worked for the Marietta Bomber Plant assisting in assembling airplanes during WWII.

Mattie Thompson - Resident since 1927

Mattie actually met her husband, Jim, on Bellemeade Avenue! She knew they would be together from the first moment she saw him get out of a taxi on Bellemeade Avenue. Mattie, her mother, and sister moved from Cummings, Georgia to Bellemeade Avenue. After Mattie and Jim were married, they puchased their current home in 1936 for $1,000. Jim worked for Atlantic Steel and later owned and operated "Thompsons' Garage" on Bellemeade Avenue, with 2 of his brothers. Jim died of a heart attack in 1967. He was in his 40s at the time. Mattie later started her own business from her home making exquisite custom made draperies.

Alma Wigley - Resident since 1942

Alma and her husband, Berlin, purchased their home in 1942. Tallulah was a dirt road at the time and they thought themselves to be living in the country then. They had electricity, but they did not have indoor plumbing or gas. They had a wood stove and a coal heater. They had a well on the back porch for drawing their water. They had hogs and chickens in the back yard. Alma is from Gwinnett County and attended Chamblee High School. Berlin is from Dallas, Georgia. Alma worked at Montags, a paper company located downtown where the Omni Hotel is currently located. Berlin worked at the Murray Shell Company and then King Plow. Many existing residents remember Louise Patterson, who was raised most of her life in the first house built on Antone Street. Louise remembers, "For many years there were almost no homes on Berkeley Avenue or Verner Street. Clyde and M.P. Black and family lived three doors down from us. I attended E.P. Howell Grammar School. At that time it was located on the corner of Bowen Street and Howell Mill Road. It was a small building. After graduating from E.P. Howell, I attended Fulton High School in May 1931. Bill Bruce and I married in December 1945. We lived on Berkeley Avenue with Mrs. Watson. This is now the home of Gwen Langston. One year later we moved into our home on Antone Street. Bill was employed by Dixie Steel, then Seaboard Railroad and our business, Lum Lite Screen Company."

Closing Remarks

There are many more residents of the past, whose names have been mentioned. Rochelle and Robert Harden lived at 1583 Howell Mill Road in 1922. Robert retired with Seaboard Railroad and they continued to live in their home for 47 years. Estelle and George Wallace rented a home on Verner Street, and later purchased their home at 805 Antone Street. George worked for Seaboard Railroad. Mrs. Earnest lived on Howell Mill near Verner Street. George Wallace, Jr. rented a room from her after moving out of his parents home. The Phillips lived on Verner Street, near Howell Mill. Dr. Puckett and family lived on Howell Mill where the Florist is currently located. Mrs. McElroy lived on Holmes Street across from the Church. Mrs. Moon lived on Holmes behind the Church. Policeman Perry lived on Holmes Street. The Rogers Family lived on Holmes Street. Edna and John Burroughs lived on Antone Street. Each and all hold a special memory in our past.

In closing, we would like to give a special "thanks" to Gwen Langston. In 1993, Gwen and Betty Massey, a fellow member of Northside Park Baptist Church, spent a year of their time gathering memories of the past from members of Northside Park Baptist Church. Their intent was to share the history of their church, similar to our objective to share the history of Berkeley Park. We were able to gather some pieces of history from their writings, which often included some of our Berkeley Park residents.

Most important, a very special "thank you" is extended to each of our long-term residents. Our community is grateful for your presence, and the contribution you have imparted to make Berkeley Park the unique community that it is today.

This article was composed by Linda Alcott.