
09/08/2025
In 1912, William Bagley & his family fled Forsyth County, leaving behind their land, home, & the only community they knew. They found a new home in the neighborhood of Macedonia Park in Atlanta
In **1912**, William Bagley and his family were among many Black families forced to flee **Forsyth County, Georgia**, in the face of escalating racial violence and terror. They left behind their land, home, and the only community they had ever known, seeking safety and stability elsewhere. The Bagleys eventually resettled in **Macedonia Park**, a small, close-knit African American neighborhood in **northwest Atlanta**, near what is now **Frankie Allen Park** in Buckhead.
Macedonia Park became a haven for families like the Bagleys—refugees from racial cleansing who rebuilt their lives on the margins of a segregated city. The community flourished for decades, despite lacking city services and facing pressure from nearby white neighborhoods. Its residents created a vibrant, self-sustaining enclave with homes, churches, and businesses. Though the neighborhood was eventually displaced in the 1940s and 1950s through land acquisition by the city, the story of families like the Bagleys reflects both the trauma of racial expulsion and the resilience of Black communities in the face of injustice.
\ #1912