DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Booker T. Washington Park in Limestone County. Now, there are dates that carry weight — and then there's June 19th, 1865.
That's the day word finally reached Texas that slavery was finished. Done. Over.
And the people of Limestone County didn't let that date fade into the calendar. They held onto it. The marker tells us that 2.5 miles south of where that park now stands, the slaves of this area first heard their freedom announced.
Just let that settle for a moment. That ground, that specific stretch of Texas earth, is where the news arrived. And the celebrating began there, right there, before anyone had so much as a deed to a park or a name on a charter.
By 1898, the community made it official — setting aside the land by deed as a permanent site for celebrating June 19th every year. Permanent. Not a temporary thing.
A forever thing. And it came out of a community that had already shown, in the years right after emancipation, what it was made of. Limestone County in the 1860s, the marker says, had many able Negro leaders.
It sent Ralph Long to the Texas constitutional convention of 1866 — one of its own citizens, stepping into that hall when the whole shape of the state was being argued over. And from among the people living right here at the time of emancipation came legislators Giles Cotton, Dave Medlock, and Sheppard Mullins. That's not a footnote — that's a legacy.
Now, Ralph Long. The honorable Ralph Long. For many years he was the featured orator at those June 19th celebrations.
And here's the detail that'll stay with you: he spoke at times from the bed of a wagon, parked in the shade. No podium, no stage — just a man, a wagon, and words that carried. And people came to hear them.
As many as 20,000 gathered for the occasion. Twenty thousand people finding their way to Limestone County to stand together on that date. On July 7th, 1912, the 19th of June Organization was formally chartered — set up to administer the park and, as the marker puts it, perpetuate regional history.
That phrase does real work. Perpetuate. Keep it going.
Pass it forward. The marker steps back at the end and looks at the broader picture. In 1860, there were 187,921 Negro people in Texas.
By 1960, that number had grown to 1,187,125 — showing, the marker says, outstanding initiative in civic leadership, education, culture, and business. A park set aside by deed in 1898. A date that refused to be forgotten.
A wagon in the shade, and twenty thousand witnesses. That's Booker T. Washington Park.
What the marker says
Set aside by deed in 1898 as a permanent site for celebrating June 19th-- the anniversary of the 1865 emancipation of slaves in Texas. It was 2.5 miles south of this site that slaves of this area first heard their freedom announced. Limestone County in the 1860's-- era of initial celebrations here--had many able Negro leaders. It sent to the Texas constitutional convention of 1866 one of its Negro citizens, Ralph Long. From among people who lived in this locality at the time of emancipation came Negro legislators Giles Cotton, Dave Medlock and Sheppard Mullins. Even before land was dedicated for the park here, this was site of annual celebration on June 19th. For many years the honorable Ralph Long was the featured orator, speaking at times from bed of a wagon parked in the shade. As many as 20,000 often gathered for the occasion. On July 7, 1912, the 19th of June Organization was chartered, to administer the park and perpetuate regional history. The Negro people of Texas have shown outstanding initiative in fields of civic leadership, education, culture and business. In 1860 they numbered 187,921; in 1960 there were 1,187,125 Negros in the State. (1968)