ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- On Monday night, the Elmira City Council voted unanimously to rename the Madison Ave Bridge after two local pioneers.  A'Don Allen and Bessie Berry fought for civil rights, and were responsible for many firsts in the community.

A'Don Allen Sr. was the first Black person to serve on the Elmira Civil Service Commission, the first Black person to serve in the Chemung County Legislature, and the first Black person to be a member of the Elmira City Council.  A'Don Allen III, his grandson, said he is proud of the achievements and difference Allen Sr.  made in the community.

"The number one thing he did for his community is care about it. He served on the County Legislature, he served on City Council, and he did that because he cared. There were so many different projects and so many different things that he did for a long time, and its really surreal that 30 years after his passing, he's still making his mark here," said A'Don Allen III.

Bessie Berry was also no stranger to firsts.  She was the first Black social worker and probation officer in Chemung County, as well as the first Black corrections counselor at the Elmira Corrections Facility.  She served ten years on the Elmira School District Board of Education, as the first Black person.

"Everywhere Bessie would go, if there was a glass ceiling, she broke it, and she was determined to be the best she could be, regardless of what she was doing. It was not like she was following somebody else, she paved the road that we are traveling on. So, she went after what she wanted to do and she was able to get those positions," said Georgia Verdier, a friend of Berry's and the president of the Elmira/Corning NAACP.

Allen SR. and Berry were pioneers in the Elmira Community.  Both Allen III and Verdier could agree that renaming the bridge is a special way to honor such an important legacy.

"I just think it's such a wonderful thing to do because I know both of them, A'Don and Bessie, and they were pioneers. They were bridge builders and I thought how appropriate it would be to have a bridge named in their honor and their recognition. I just think you cant do anything better," said Verdier.

The official ceremony for the renaming of the bridge is set to take place sometime in the future.