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Home > Clayton.Talk > Archives > 2007 > March > 19
Monday, March 19, 2007
Should Tara Boulevard be renamed?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Since moving to Clayton, I’ve heard Tara Boulevard called several names — 19/41 and “Terror” Boulevard are among the most popular. The rumors that the thoroughfare may be renamed have been gaining momentum.
Tara Boulevard is named after Tara, Scarlett O’Hara’s fictitious plantation in the novel “Gone With the Wind.” Jonesboro is the historical foundation for the story.
But the face of this county has changed dramatically over the years. Clayton is now predominantly African-American, and many of those residents want their cultural history represented. Some would like to see the boulevard renamed in honor of Rosa Parks, the civil rights pioneer who died in 2005.
However, many Clayton natives already feel they are losing their way of life to “transplants” who move here from other areas. They do not want to see Tara Boulevard renamed because it represents a part of their history, which they already feel has been all but wiped out due to economic expansion and overdevelopment.
Another reason against renaming is the tourist dollars Clayton stands to lose. According to Russell Caldwell, manager of visitor services at The Margaret Mitchell House and Museum in Midtown Atlanta, “Tourists come in all the time asking where Tara is.” Those tourists are then directed to the Clayton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, where they can visit The Road To Tara Museum and inevitably hear history behind the boulevard’s name and Clayton county’s role in it.
Given its historical aspects, should renaming Tara Boulevard even be considered? If so, what name would you suggest? Should any new name be based solely on culture, or the individual’s contribution to Clayton county?
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