Highland Park (Louisville, Ky.)

One could refer to Bill Gatton as "Mr. Highland Park." Mr. Gatton was born in 1921 in the "City of Highland Park," as were his eight brothers, and lived in the neighborhood all his life. His father was employed by the L&N Railroad and walked to and from work everyday. He was president of the Highland Park Neighborhood Association and led the airport expansion protest. Mr. Gatton is very knowledgeable about Highland Park history and was writing a book on the subject at the time of the interview.

George Haarman was owner and proprietor of a popular Highland Park neighborhood store, Ducky's Ice Cream Parlor, located on Park Boulevard, the main street in Highland Park, from December 1947 until March 1968.

Mr. McQuady and his family were long time residents of Highland Park. He owned and operated a grocery store on Park Boulevard (Boulevard Market) for 37 years. Mr. McQuady's parents purchased the original store in the 1930s, McQuady's Grocery, for $200. His grandfather, Claude D. McQuady, was mayor of Highland Park in the 1920s. About a year and a half after Mr. McQuady sold Boulevard Market, the airport expansion project began purchasing the land.

Dr. Owen practiced dentistry for 48 years at 4400 Park Boulevard in the Highland Park neighborhood, beginning in 1936. Mrs. Owen was also his nurse for a period of time in the early years before the war. World War II interrupted and the office closed down for three years. When he returned from the war he opened again at a different location, but still on Park Boulevard, and practiced until 1984. He was one of only three dentists in the neighborhood.

Mr. Toohey was born in a shotgun house in Highland Park and lived ni the neighborhood most of his life. He knew at an early age what he wanted to do for a living and worked toward that goal diligently, gaining the education he needed to learn the auto parts business. He uses the most technologically advanced equipment to analyze problems with modern automobiles, and insists on training and education for his mechanics. His business, Toohey's Auto Supply, has been on Woodlawn Avenue for many years. In this interview, Toohey discusses the auto supply business, the airport expansion, and touches on his memories of the 1937 Flood.

Mrs. Katie Walters was born in Highland Park in 1907 and lived there until the airport expansion bought up the land. She and her husband raised their only child there, and they all attended the same school, James Russell Lowell School. Their grandchildren also attended the school. Grandparents, aunts and uncles also lived close by. Alvin Walters came to Highland Park from elsewhere in Kentucky when he was 11 years old. He eventually worked for the L&N Railroad, as did his father and many other men in the neighborhood. This interview is about the Walters' life in Highland Park, and touches on the 1937 Flood.