The historic Center Street neighborhood, stretching from 15th Street to Keosauqua Way, was Iowa's most vibrant Black community, where people lived, worked, shopped, prayed, and gathered to celebrate life. Between the early 1900s and late 1960s, it was one of the few areas that Blacks could proudly call their own. Black-owned businesses lined Center Street, including grocery stores, hotels, jazz clubs, restaurants, doctors' and dentists' offices, and more. The Crocker YMCA and Willkie House served the needs of youth. One of the first pharmacies in Iowa and the first school of cosmetology, both Black owned, were here. Affordable homes and apartments allowed Black residents to raise their families here. In the 1960s, the city's urban renewal plan displaced homeowners and businesses to accommodate the MacVicar Freeway (I-235) and public services.