“To live in the hearts of those we leave behind, is not to die,” is a quote by local legend Dr. James Lee Dickey. On Monday, June 27,
On Monday, June 27, Dr. Dickey’s name legacy was preserved with the re-dedication of the Dickey Footbridge located near East Second Street between Robinson and Dolan streets and also crosses Bull Branch Creek near Taylor’s hike and bike trail.
The bridge was built in 1940 after motivation from Dr. Dickey to provide a safer route for school children over Bull Branch Creek to the Blackshear/ O.L. Price schools during segregation.
“This bridge is symbolic in many ways, connection our community,” said Mayor Brandt Rydell. “Community is so important, and I’m just so happy that we continue to have this symbol and this feature that those for years and years to come can have an understanding of where Taylor’s been and the bright future in to which we are going.”
In 2018, the Taylor Conservation and Heritage Society worked to have a marker placed at the bridge. Four years later, the bridge was restored.
“This bridge was not only a part of O.L. Price history. It is a part of anyone that grew up in east Taylor,” said Mayor Pro Tem Gerald Anderson. “We all walked that bridge the way other African Americans had for generations.”
In addition to repairs made on the bridge, the rails were painted in purple and gold, the colors of O.L. Price school.
The restoration of the bridge was made possible through the efforts of the Taylor Conservation and Heritage Society, the Taylor Garden Club and the Taylor Parks and Recreation Department.
To conclude the ceremony, former O.L. Price students walked across the bridge.
