Picnic Groves

Kalo Farm / Joy Farm

Joy Farm, a popular Black picnic ground in Oakwood Village outside Bedford, was originally known as Kalo Farm or Kalo Park. Its original name derived from its owner, Steve Kalo, a Hungarian-born farmer. The venue was located between Forbes and Tryon Roads. Although it hosted Black organizations periodically, on at least one occasion in the late 1930s it reportedly reneged on a contract, leading to “Jim Crow” charges. Kalo appears to have been sold by the 1960s because a 1964 ad described it for the first time as “Joy Farm (formerly Kalo Farm).” From 1964 until at least 1980, Joy Farm, managed by William White, appeared often in articles and advertisements.

Additional information coming soon.

Advertisement | Call & Post, Mar. 6, 1965

Resources

  • “CSC Alumni Are Jovial At Rain Swept Outing.” Call & Post. August 15, 1959.
  • Display Ad 3 – No Title.” Call & Post. July 4, 1964.
  • Display Ad 5 – No Title.” Call & Post. March 6, 1965.
  • Display Ad 14 – No Title.” Call & Post. May 30, 1953.
  • “Stephen Kalo.” 1950 U.S. Census, Ohio, Cuyahoga County, Bedford, E.D. 18-19.
  • “True Pal Hayriders Meet Jim-Crow at Bedford, O., Park.” Call & Post. August 17, 1939.
Exact location unknown (btn. Forbes and Tryon Rds. east of Lamson Rd.)

Tell us about Kalo Farm / Joy Farm

Many of the locations documented on Green Book Cleveland are not well-documented in the historical record. If you have additional information about Kalo Farm / Joy Farm, please let us know by sharing a memory, correction, or suggestion using the comment form below.

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