Honoring the legacy of Cove Boulevard
GLENWOOD, Fla. (WMBB) – Walking up Cove Boulevard in the 1950s brought a sense of liberation for the Bay County Black community.
Cove Boulevard was lined with grocery stores, restaurants, churches, clubs, salons, and more.
'Growing up here and walking down the street was a sense of freedom. You were free to roam anywhere you wanted to and come back home without any sense of harm or danger. It was a sense of freedom,' Resident and 'Historical Journey Up Cove Boulevard' Author Myron Hines said.
Not only was it a one-stop shop, Glenwood was a safe haven.
'It solidified the fact that black people who lived in this community could thrive and take care of themselves without the help of others,' Hines said.
Wilson Brothers Barber Shop has been a staple here since 1946. But for many, it was more than a place for a haircut.
'We had a lot of fun with people coming in, especially on weekends and just sitting around telling jokes and enjoying each other's company. A lot of folks used to come to the barbershop sometimes just to be with people and enjoy each other's company,' Wilson Brothers Barber Shop retired owner Jonathan E. Wilson Sr. said.
Other Glenwood residents say their fondest memories took place in the old Rec Center.
'I grew up there, I spent five days a week there. As soon as school's out I would take off, me and most other kids in the community. It was a happy place,' Hines said.
During segregation, the black-owned business thrived in Glenwood.
'It was a black business district, almost like Wall Street, but not as big, but most of the businesses in the strip were owned by black people, that is no longer there now; integration and population growth I guess changed things,' Wilson said.
Integration changed the dynamic of the community. The societal growth hindered Glenwood.
Then in the 90s, Cove Boulevard was widened and renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
Black History Month on mypanhandle.com
'The widening of the boulevard took away quite a few businesses and people's homes at that point it made quite a few changes within the area, but it had to be done really because of growth and change,' Wilson said.
But before the widening project began, Hines photographed Cove Boulevard, unchanged.
'It was a sad time because our history was disappearing. And the book brought back some of those memories,' Hines said.
His book, 'Historical Journey Up Cove Boulevard,' inspired a project that's leading what officials are calling, the 'Glenwood Renaissance.'
'We want to attract new businesses and homes and mixed-use development to them. Martin Luther King Boulevard and pausing to recognize what once they're through the historical marker project, is in the spirit of Sankofa: looking back while moving forward and certainly evoking that spirit of the folk who put together businesses on the old Cove Boulevard, now MLK Boulevard,' Panama City Commissioner Ward 2 Janice Lucas said.
The historical markers now line MLK Boulevard to highlight the legacy of the local businesses.
'I was proud to see that happen, that has a way of keeping the memory alive that once a flourishing business stood there and people were proud to come to those businesses for service,' Wilson said.
Longtime Glenwood residents are hopeful for the future of their beloved town.
'There are discussions going on now about how it's gonna look when it's rebuilt. This [Rec] center behind me being rebuilt is one of the biggest things that's gonna happen to this community. I, for one, am proud to be a product of Glenwood,' Hines said.
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