Remembering the Past of Benton Park
I have
been receiving a number of emails from people who once lived in
Benton Park, has found our web sites and decided to share a few of
their memories and/or a photo of two.
June 1946 Agenda of the Benton Park Neighborhood
My wife and I recently moved to Benton Park after 30 years in
Knoxville Tennessee. I remain curious on how the members of the
neighborhood association we joined define themselves/ourselves. As I
sat in my second meeting on a hot 2006 June evening I wondered what
would have been the agenda for a “neighborhood association” were I
there 60 years ago. Epiphany Church was called Ebenezer German
Evangelical Church until 1956 and was the religious and social
center in the 1940s. Benton Park was a neighborhood as defined by a
rough geographical boundary, a local economy and integrated social,
family and religious relationships.
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The 1946 fictitious agenda would have started with a prayer and
a pledge of allegiance both which included remembering those who
were in the war just ended |
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Announcements would have included not a listing of crimes and
murders but new births, and natural deaths. |
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New residents to the community were already known as most were
kin to somebody. They had been welcomed with food, sweat labor
and perhaps a party. |
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The June agenda would have focused on the July 4th parade which
included all the children in the neighborhood and every adult
who could play an instrument. Local boys back from the war were
designated to lead the parade and carry the flags. All
participants were to be at the church at 9:00 a.m. Best
estimates it would be longer than the one last year which snaked
five blocks through the neighborhood. |
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Requests were made for several more men to take shifts with the
pigs and lambs being barbequed overnight in the park. A few more
large washtubs are needed to hold the ice. Food and drink would
begin after the parade was complete. |
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(Interestingly the agenda wouldn’t have had items on developers,
or problem housing or even dog droppings). |
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When the meeting adjourned folks would have spilled into the
street continuing their neighborly conversations. Many continued
to one of the three nearby local bars. Stan Musial and Enos
Slaughter probably were topics. |
