When I saw it, I did not know quite what to think, sitting less than two blocks away from my home was a sign that would come to disturb my childhood ignorance and bliss. I could not picture a more idyllic neighborhood to grow up in; I was surrounded by beautiful live oak canopies and parks, by friendly faces and beautiful old houses. I spent much of my childhood roaming the neighborhood with my friends and our little gang rode bikes and skateboards around, visited the park, or just hung out. One day when my friends and I were meandering down to the gas station a few blocks away, we took particular notice in a sign. This sign, a historical marker had been something that we often passed, but never paid any attention to as it was across the road and not on our path. I am not going to claim that this sign changed my life, but it made me painfully aware of the inescapable history in the very place I grew up.

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      Seemingly ancient live oaks shade the neighborhood, and the lush yards are trodden by children playing. Beautiful southern homes line the streets, and parks fill up with dogwalkers. Betton Hills is truly picturesque, and has an ageless nostalgic feeling to me. Known for its slow, sweet southern living, Tallahassee is embodied by the sign. A reminder of the troubled past but unbeknownst to the blissful and easy living residents. The neighborhood itself has a distinct sense of community, ever since I was little I loved the several neighborhood events every year. Days filled with friends, food, and music made fond memories of events in the neighborhood park. Growing up in a place where people looked out for me and where neighbors were friendly and generous made me appreciate Betton Hills, and now that I moved out, every time I visit it is that much more special to me. The people in the community worked together to improve our neighborhood. One memory that will stick with me forever is the aftermath of hurricane Hermine. Last fall, Hermine struck Tallahassee, and although it was only a category 1 storm it did significant damage to Tallahassee. Because much of Tallahassee consists of old trees and above-ground wires, many were without power for several days, and many streets became impassible due to fallen trees. The City was not prepared and handled the recovery process slowly, so many residents in Betton Hills came together to help those with the most severe needs first. My family was fortunate that we had no major damage, but a tree fell in our yard and some neighbors offered to come help, bringing chainsaws or helping pick up the branches scattered across the yard. People came together to help one another and became everything a neighborhood community should be: compassionate and helpful.

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       In small print, the sign read: Plantation Cemetery at Betton Hills. At 12 years old, I understood what that literally meant, but the ramifications did not quite sink in for me. Soon after, I took this newfound knowledge to my parents and asked them about it. Speaking with them prompted our curiosities and with minimal research we were able to find out about some of the history of our neighborhood. Betton Hills is named after Turbett Betton, a wealthy Tallahassee merchant who purchased roughly 12,000 acres of land from the Lafayette estate. The land was originally granted to Marquis de LaFayette by President John Quincy Adams for his assistance with the American Revolution. Turbett Betton was a plantation owner, and established

a slave cemetery on that very ground. Shortly after Betton’s death, his land was purchased by Guy Winthrop, another important figure in the history of Betton Hills. Winthrop subdivided the land and created the community of Betton Hills, and was the founder of the Betton Hills Neighborhood Association in the 1940s. Winthrop also had some of his servants buried in the same cemetery. Almost all of the burial sites were marked only with wooden crosses rather than gravestones, so little evidence would point to it being a slave cemetery bar the historical marker. Nothing remains apart from the slight depressions in the ground.

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      It was haunting to me, thinking about all of the people that could have been buried there with no recognition or memory. This was the first time I was exposed to the history and made aware of my neighborhood’s history. I had of course been taught about American history and slavery in the south, but did not picture the place I grew up being so closely associated with that. Much of my childhood was joyful naivety, and Betton Hills felt so friendly and welcoming, so this sign really made me hesitate to celebrate the ‘rich history’ of my neighborhood. I had never heard anyone talk about plantations or slavery in regard to Betton Hills before. I was surprised both that the history existed and that the current residents did not seem to talk about it.  History is something that Betton Hills certainly parades and proudly claims to be one of Tallahassee’s older and more well-established neighborhoods. Although today it is diverse and feels idyllic, the plantations, slavery, and continued discrimination are all on the wrong side of history and should be enough to make someone uncomfortable. This is not all an isolated occurrence, as almost all of the southern states have history rooted in slavery, and it would be unfair to just criticize one particular area.

Betton Hills, to me is a place where I become overwhelmed with nostalgia and memories of the carefree summer days where I felt invincible and life felt perfect. As I grew older I came to recognize how great the community is, and history of a neighborhood that transformed into what I consider to be the perfect place for my childhood. Learning the history of my

neighborhood made me appreciate how unified but diverse Betton Hills is today. I’m glad I was able to be a part of the Betton Hills community, and now that I’m old enough I look forward to finding ways to give back and keep improving the place that is so important to me. Betton Hills is where I am heard, and is forever my home.

 

      For my project 2, I will be looking deeper into the past of Tallahassee by trying to gain a better understanding of how the Civil Rights Act affected the community of Tallahassee. Many complicated problems continue to exist today, including residential and socio-economic segregation, poverty and racial inequality. Researching the history of Tallahassee and the Civil Rights Movement is crucial to understanding the way the community operates and how it has changed over time. These aren’t issues that can be necessarily solved, but for me, addressing them and working toward improvement is important to me, someone who considers Tallahassee home and wants to see it become a better place.