Beginning in May of 1961, Civil Rights activists began staging protests against the enforcement of public bus integration in the South. Despite two U.S. Supreme Court decisions legalizing integration, many Southern states continued to enforce state and local laws requiring segregation. Protestors would board busses and travel through the South in integrated groups. Whenever the busses stopped, these mixed-race groups would attempt to integrate the lunch counters and other facilities at the bus stations.

On June 20, 1961, several protestors arrived aboard a Greyhound bus here in LaGrange. Local law enforcement had already been warned and were at the bus station to see that there was no trouble. The integrated group was served at the lunch counter and returned to their bus without incident. The LaGrange Daily News reported on its front page about the event the following day.

‘Riders’ Stop in LaGrange

A Negro waitress was substituted for regular white waitresses briefly Tuesday to serve an integrated group of so called “freedom riders” who invaded the white luncheon counter at the LaGrange bus terminal.

Three white women, a white man, four Negro men and a Negro woman entered the restaurant’s white section of the Greyhound station while the bus stopped en route from Atlanta to Montgomery. Eight were served at the counter stools and one at a table while law enforcement officials watched.

There were no incidents. LaGrange police, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent and sheriff department representatives were on hand at the time of the incident in midafternoon.

The group entered LaGrange aboard the bus at 3 p.m. Law officials had been advised by radio contact in advance and were present as a precautionary measure.

The “riders” apparently were part of the integrated crowd which departed from Montgomery early today for Jackson, Miss., where all such participants have been swiftly jailed.

The old Greyhound bus station where this occurred still stands at the corner of Haralson and Church Streets. It has been remodeled and now serves as the offices of the accounting firm of Gay and Joseph.

Images: A postcard showing the bus station in 1952. Today, the bus station is occupied by the offices of Gay & Joseph, LLP.