Juneteenth, George Ranch-Style
This year is the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth – the day that slaves were declared free in Texas. On June 19, 1865, almost three years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Texas slaves were finally given their freedom. Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and announced: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
Black cowboys were an integral part of the George Ranch for many years, which was unusual for this part of Texas. Most ranches had a majority of Hispanic cowboys, but it has been stated that more than 90 percent of the cowboys on the George Ranch were black in the 1800s and 1900s.
The Ranch’s founder, A.P. George, marked Juneteenth with a party every year. It was a BIG deal.
The Georges held annual Juneteenth bashes in the 1930s.
“Juneteenth, the summer holiday that marked the announcement of the end of slavery in Texas, was one of the biggest parties of the year and they would all come – cowboys and farmers, black and white, young and old. The Georges’ cook, Felix Gance, would dig long trenches and spend days burning wood to get the coals just right. Hogs and cattle would be butchered, along with some of the bounty of Mr. George’s latest hunting expeditions, and a great barbecue feast would fill a festive spread. ‘The man would give us a big day,’ Oscar “Lightning” Autrey remembered. ‘Everybody down here would have a big day on the Juneteenth. That’s one thing they were going to see to you.’ The camaraderie was real, and it resonates all these years later. ‘There was no difference between black and white,’ Madeline Muegge says. ‘We were all one family out there. We lived that way. That was the theme of fellowship. And growing up together, sharing problems and good times, it was for real.’”
(From “Albert and Mamie George: The Legend and the Legacy” by Ron Stone and Ron Stone, Jr.)
Tomorrow, we’re having a few special activities to mark the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth. Observe a re-enactment of Gen. Granger’s speech, participate in a historic picnic and learn about the African-American workers who helped shape the Ranch. Want more information? Click here. See you tomorrow!
