In recent years, Wheeling has joined the national celebration of Juneteenth, with the 2022 version featuring events at the Ohio County Public Library, YWCA, Market Plaza, and Heritage Port. See details.
Juneteenth is a celebration of the liberation of Texas slaves in execution of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which applied only to slaves held in states in rebellion—that is, Confederate states. On June 19, 1865, roughly 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and announced that “the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as ‘Juneteenth,’ by the newly freed people in Texas.” Source.
Juneteenth was made a federal holiday on June 19, 2021. Wheeling had already begun marking the day a few years prior.
But historically, the African American population in the Wheeling area had celebrated “Emancipation Day,” despite the fact that no slaves were freed in West Virginia (which had joined the Union in 1863), by Lincoln’s executive order. The date chosen (probably in hopes of fairer weather) was actually that of the so-called preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, announced on September 22, 1862. The official order would come on January 1, 1863.
On September 27, 1867, the Wheeling Intelligencer reported, via the Moundsville National, the first such celebration, held in Moundsville five days prior. Most of the celebrants arrived from Wheeling by morning train, including Alexander Turner, father of Wheeling first Black police officer, William Alexander Turner. The elder Turner served as assistant Chief Marshal for the festivities, which primarily consisted of speeches, prayers, and singing on the “Old Camp Ground.”
On September 22, 1884, Wheeling welcomed a prestigious guest to its Emancipation Day celebration as the great abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass (who had also visited Wheeling in 1867 to deliver an address at Washington Hall; see full text here) was the guest of honor. Douglass spoke at the Opera House (which replaced Washington Hall when it was destroyed by fire in 1875)before a disappointingly small gathering and before moving on to speak at Martins Ferry the next day. Douglass was introduced in Wheeling by Dr. Boswell H. Stillyard, the first African American to be elected to Wheeling’s city council (which occurred in 1914).
Douglass spoke for two hours about “Self-Made Men,” and the Daily Register (a Democratic newspaper) writer accused him of revealing a “narrow vein of egotism.” The event in Martins Ferry drew about 2000 people, according to the Register, and Douglass was introduced by Lincoln School’s principal Professor James McHenry Jones, after a reading of the text of the Proclamation by Lincoln student, Miss Annie Gardner. The parade featured, as the Intelligencer put it, “uniformed clubs of colored men and others from Bellaire, Steubenville, Bridgeport, Martins Ferry, Wheeling and elsewhere…The club from Mt. Pleasant was mounted, and there were many wagons and carriages in the procession.”
On September 22, 1891, the Emancipation Day observation was again held in Wheeling, with Lincoln School’s principal Professor James McHenry Jones welcoming one of the first-ever African American US Senators, Blanche K. Bruce as the guest of honor.
A large parade marched from 7th and Market, eventually crossing over the Suspension Bridge to the Island fair grounds, where most of the subsequent celebrations were held. “At the fair grounds,” the Intelligencer stated “ex-United States Senator B. K. Bruce, of Mississippi, will speak in the afternoon at two o’clock. Then will follow the singing by the states, forty-four girls and forty-four boys, Our Nation’s day, reading of the Proclamation by Queen of the Day, singing by William Turner’s quartette, thence to the general amusements of the day.” The younger Turner was 26 years old at the time. An evening reception was held at Turner’s Hall in North Wheeling near the Marsh plant. In a reminder of the Jim Crow zeitgeist, the Intell noted: “The hotels that will accommodate Afro-Americans are as follows: Hotel Windsor, St. Charles, Ohio River house, Old Home, Mr. Hearn, under the Grand Opera House, and Lasch’s hotel.”
During his speech, Senator Bruce addressed a controversy that is unfortunately still relevant today.
“It has been questioned by some people if any good is accomplished by the celebration of such anniversaries as this. These people argue that these celebrations tend to perpetuate race prejudices, and thus to sever us from the great body of American citizens; they suggest that we should be content to celebrate the birth of American liberty in general by commemorating Independence day. I am not prepared to admit the force of the doubt, the argument or the suggestion. In all ages notable events in the history of races and of nations have been deemed worthy of celebration, and in our own generation no event has been more notable or more significant than the declaration of emancipation by Abraham Lincoln. [Applause.] Just so long as we appreciate the blessings conferred upon us by emancipation will we be inspired to celebrate this day. It is well that we should here meet together to recall the miseries of our former condition, and the better things that came; that we teach our children to value the rights and privileges conferred upon us with freedom. This is a good day to make an inventory of our prerogatives and our privileges, and to note what we have done, how far we have advanced in the years since freedom was born for us.
The Fourth of July and this day are kindred anniversaries; the one marks the birth of a nation and the other of a race. On the one a land won liberty, and on the other a race its freedom, and each of these events will forever be remembered with gratitude. This day we celebrate our natal day — the birthday of the race.”
The 1896 Emancipation Day event was an even more elaborate affair, with Professor Jones serving as M.C. and US Congressman and Mississippi Senator John R. Lynch as the guest of honor. The Intell. reported: “The amusement features will include horse racing, bicycle racing, sack racing, wheelbarrow racing, baseball games and other features. A banquet will be held in the evening at Turner’s hall.”
The parade carried on despite a cold rain, with Alexander Turner as Chief Marshal, and thousands of people, white and black, looking on. Wheeling’s white mayor, Benjamin F. Caldwell, led the speakers at the fair-grounds.
William Alexander Turner wrote a poem that appeared in the newspaper for the 1912 celebration. His words provide a visual image of the typical events of the celebrations during that era.
“Everybody’s smiling and feeling very fine—
See the colored brethren as they’re marching down the line.
All are dressed in splendor as they step away.
Feeling good and happy on Emancipation Day.
Don’t you hear the band a playing? Everybody get in line.
Patriarchs with feathers waving boys brigade fall in behind.
And behold in all her splendor comes the queen in state array.
For I know she’ll rule with honor on Emancipation Day.
Come and go to the fair grounds, where everybody will be gay.
And hear the oratory of the speakers of the day.
O sun shine with splendor and let your golden ray
Give us faultless weather on Emancipation Day.
Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Lincoln, if you could just push back the clouds.
And behold the colored brother who sings your praises loud.
And we’ll bow with reverence and give our thanks and pray.
For giving us our liberty on Emancipation Day.”
By 1921, Wheeling’s Emancipation Day had become a smaller affair, with Lincoln professor Harry H. Jones as M.C. and Wheeling’s second black firefighter, John Doffmeyer serving as an aide to parade marshal Colonel William Campbell.
The last significant Emancipation Day event of the original series was reported in 1932 and featured a dance and social at the Market Auditorium. The African American Elks Club revived the celebration at Wheeling Park in 1944 and in the last reported event, the Black Pythian Lodge, Girl Scouts, students of Lincoln School, and church groups led the parade in 1945, culminating in an picnic at Wheeling Park.
In the modern era, Diana Bell organized Wheeling’s first African American Jubilee, which was held in June 1991. The festival grew over the 18 years that Diana organized and presided over it. It was billed as the largest ethnic/cultural festival in West Virginia, and inspired other communities to start their own African American festivals.
Watch historian Margaret Brennan and Underground Railroad Museum Curator Kristina Estle discuss slavery and Juneteenth:
