Freestone County, Texas
Reflections


Freestone Past/Present
J.R. “Sonny” Sessions

                            “Juneteenth”
   On June l9th, l865 Union Occupation General Granger read the 
Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in the South when he 
occupied Galveston and Texas. Among the freed slaves this became 
known as Juneteenth and a special day for the blacks in Texas. My 
Daddy born in l891 said in his childhood there only two holidays he and 
others locally observed Christmas and Juneteenth.
  This day observed locally in most rural areas for many years with 
religious and festive doings. Told by older blacks about some of the 
gatherings where they had something like a traveling carnival today 
with rides and swings. I was most familiar with the activities as Shiloh 
where there large crowds who came mostly in wagons and teams. The  
homemade bar b q always good. This a big thing here until after WWII 
as most of the population both black and white had moved to the urban 
areas for better jobs and such.
  The largest known is and was at Comanche Crossing west of Mexia on 
the Navasota River and later Lake Mexia. Many from the cities and 
other states returned here annually for the celebration and socializing, 
they came from all over, from California to Maine.
  Frank X. Tolbert, Dallas Morning News columnist in his June l969 
article believed it to be the biggest in the nation. About 12,000 attended 
that year, which during the middle of the week, in l967 when it occurred 
on the weekend there were 30,000. Many had been coming 30 or more 
years.
  Tolbert reported they started gathering at Comanche Crossing right 
after the Civil War. In l898 some 30 acres were deeded as a permanent 
park, later 15 acres was taken in by Lake Mexia. At one time there was 
a two-story tabernacle where religious ceremonies held and a two-story 
dance hall with room for 500 on the floor with dances sometimes lasting 
all night.
  A one-way bridge limited access to and from the park with the crowds 
starting to drop. Two unfortunate and unrelated incidents created a 
sharp decline in the gatherings. At one time it looked as if it be closed.
Joe Louis Phillips whom I had known many years as taught school in 
Butler, Coolidge and other places brought new life and attendance after 
becoming president.
  Noted Mexia educator Walter F. Cotton in his history book “Missing 
Links” tells of his grandfather a slave on the Stroud Plantation after 
learned they been freed found sitting on a log crying, His grandfather 
was the father of many children by many different women for the 
plantation and he knew those days were over. Their are many 
interesting stories in Mr. Cottons publication.
  After some of the Comanche Crossing gatherings the traffic back to 
Dallas thru Wortham and Freestone Co. really picked up. Many 
traveled in long convoys of vehicles. 
  Am glad to see the Juneteenth celebrations returning as lots of history 
involved that the young one’s need to be familiar with.  
                                          *****