Constructed in 1958 at 181 W. Brooks Road, Presley Gulf Station appeared in the 1963 and 1966 Green Book.
Once Listed in the Green Book, Memphis’s Presley Gulf Station Still Stands Today
Tag Archives: The Green Book
Once listed in The Green Book, the original location of the Paramount Grill still stands in Atlanta, Georgia
The Green Book was an annual guidebook for Black travelers created by Victor Hugo Green (1892-1960). Originally known as The Negro Motorist Green-Book, Green, a New York City mailman, published the first book in 1937 when Jim Crow laws around segregation made it difficult for African-Americans to travel around the United States. While travel was especially difficult in the South, Black travelers faced challenges across the United States and internationally. Each year, the book added more businesses and tourist homes where Black people were welcome.
Unsurprisingly, Atlanta had several listings centered around Auburn Avenue and Hunter Street (now MLK) since Jim Crow Atlanta laws limited where Black businesses could exist. The Paramount Grille appeared for the first time in the 1960 edition. The display ad provides the address of 810 – 812 Hunter Street. Today, the address is a small shopping center that includes the Busy Bee Cafe, an Atlanta institution since 1947.
Bertrand McMillan (1914-1986), who initially worked for a construction company, began the Paramount Grill in 1948. I haven’t been able to determine the last year it was in business. The Paramount Grill(e) was listed in The Green Book until its final pressing in 1967.
This is the home of Bertrand and Bessie McMillan on East Avenue. Their address was accidentally listed in some volumes of The Green Book. When I first decided to see which extant Greek Book buildings were still in existence, I happened to look at one of the years where the Paramount Grill was listed at this address. I immediately knew there was a mistake because I knew a popular restaurant could not be here. I was able to determine the actual address of the restaurant, but I didn’t know what was at this address. I had wondered if it was meant to be listed as a tourist home. While researching, I finally found the name of the owner of the Paramount Grill, Bertrand. He and his wife called this their home for several years.
Nan’s Restaurant-Atlanta, Georgia
Nan’s Restaurant was one of the restaurants that was listed in The Green Book for Atlanta. The Green Book was an annual guide created by Victor Hugo Green for Black travelers to use since segregation made travel difficult, and these businesses welcomed the travelers.
Dudley Motel-Dublin, Georgia
Built in 1958, the Dudley Motel provided respite for Black travelers along US Highway 80 in Dublin, Georgia. The motel hosted such luminaries as Andrew Young and Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Dudley family were prominent entrepreneurs in the community who developed not only the motel, but a cafe, gas station, mortuary, and cemetery for the African American community. For a thorough history on the family, and their history, please visit The Herbert “Hub” Dudley page. There are a lot of great photos there.
It was placed on the The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2023 Places in Peril.
The Retreat Cafe-Dublin, Georgia
Herbert “Hub” Dudley was the son of Clayton and Katie Dudley, who started several businesses in Dudley. At the corner of Jackson and Truxton Streets, the family opened up a motel, gas station, and cafe to accommodate Black travelers.
Dudley opened up this space to provide food for the Black officers of the United Services Organization, hence the name “Retreat.” After the conclusion of World War II, Dudley continued to serve food, but now It was to the general public. Well-known acts such as Little Richard, Rosetta Tharpe, and James Brown stopped by the restaurant; sometimes, they entertained patrons. It was a full-service restaurant that offered such treats as fresh doughnuts, ice cream, and Coca-Cola.