A community that hasn't existed in more than forty years had a long rich history in Bowling Green.

Jonesville, KY existed where the southern part of WKU's campus is today including areas like the baseball and softball field.

It was a successful community with groceries, businesses, and sense of family matched by no other, but this church and family oriented community came to an end long before any sort of natural decay.

However, those that lived there say they are not bitter about what happened.

It's a thriving community that may be gone, but certainly not forgotten.

"We had a shopping center down in this area, and it had multiple stores in it, just about anything you wanted, from a pizza place. I'm a Reverend, but they even had a liquor store here," said former resident of Jonesville, Reverent Porter Bailey.

Now all that's left in the original Jonesville area is a plaque, and as at reads the lives of most African-American families revolved around the church.

"To us, it was the perfect place, because well we didn't know any other place, but to us it was perfect, our parents made sure that we had everything we needed," said former resident of Jonesville, Maxine Ray.

Not only was Jonesville a thriving economic hub, but also a home for African American students who, because, of the times were not allowed to stay on WKU's campus.

"We housed black students in our homes. During the freshman year, freshman could not bring their cars on campus, but all the black kids that we're up here they had cars, because we let them park them in our driveways, park them in our yards or whatever at home," said Ray.

Jonesville lasted for nearly a hundred years, from just after the Civil War until the late 1960's.

WKU wanted to expand, so it went through a third party, Urban Renewal to appraise the property.

Urban Renewal bought the property at way below the value, and people had to find a new home.

"We're talking about people that were in their 60's and 70's and already retired from working, and had worked hard to pay for this, and to think you have to start all over at 70 or 65 and to start paying for a new home, a new property somewhere else," said Ray.

Ray said their parents and older generations were upset, but her generation wasn't bitter.

"We weren't trying to block progress. We really just wanted a fair market price for our property," said Bailey.

"Our generation, we knew things progressed, and we were not against it, we were not holding up progress. So, it's history, it happened. There's nothing we can do about it now. No, we're not bitter about it," said Ray.

Once all of the property was condemned and purchased at a low price, they were a community on the move.

"It was difficult. It's almost like taking us into a land unknown. This side of the town we considered our home," said Bailey.

"Just so close knit, you just don't have communities like that anymore. We just miss it," said Ray.

Now, there's just a plaque where Jonesville stood, but the memory lives on.

Another aspect of Jonesville that's still alive today is Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Bowling Green although it has moved locations.

Ray is also working on compiling more history and pictures of Jonesville and plans to publish her work and research on this community.