An area along Route 17 in lower Gloucester County was once home to a thriving Black business community, and on Saturday evening, a crowd filled the Abingdon Ruritan Club building at Bena to celebrate that legacy, and remember the man who made that all possible.
“Celebrating Our Legacy: The Wagon Wheel” was held to remember Leon Gregory Sr., the man who opened The Wagon Wheel (commonly referred to as “The Wheel”) in 1944, which was a stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit—a collection of performance venues primarily in the South, that provided commercial and cultural acceptance for African American musicians, comedians and other entertainers during the era of racial segregation.
Gregory also operated The Rim, a 300-seat movie theater for the Black community, The Hub Cleaners and the Lee-Rye Nursery.
A sell-out crowd of 264 gathered at the Abingdon Ruritan Club to enjoy a buffet dinner, listen and dance to the vocal harmonies of Richmond group “Bak N Da Day” and reminisce about nights spent at the...