Athens, Georgia Barbecue Legend Bill and Geraldine Walker

Georgia barbecue sandwich with some serious sauce, recipe below

While doing research for my book Hog and Hominy http://cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-14638-8/hog-and-hominy/tableOfContents, I came across some fascinating stories about successful entrepreneurs during the Great Depression. Here is a story I found in the archives of the Library of Congress which I used in the chapter  of my book on the Great Depression titled the Beans and Green of Necessity. African Americans Bill and Geraldine walker started a barbecue stand that specialized in hot pork sandwiches in Athens, Georgia. Bill Walker first started accumulating capital in Athens working for “white folks” at the age of ten. He later migrated to nearby Atlanta where he worked briefly at a barbecue stand, a fraternity house, and other sundry places for two years. “I was saving my money all that time to set up a barbecue stand of my own some day,” he told a WPA writer. After Bill married Geraldine they opened a pit barbecue stand. “When we sure opened up for business, I had 500 circulars distributed in a radius of 10 blocks around here, and then we went to work, day and night, to build up our trade.” Despite the Depression, flyers and word of mouth had the couple doing a brisk business in ten-cent barbecue sandwiches, corn bread, and other items including drinks. Here is a Georgia barbecue sauce recipe.

Georgia Barbecue Sauce Recipe: http://www.fastrecipes.com/recipe/georgia-barbecue-sauce-2009051722727/