An 1898 Deed Set Aside Booker T. Washington Park for June 19

Booker T. Washington Park lies west of Mexia off US 84. A deed set aside the land in 1898. Its permanent purpose was to host June 19 celebrations marking emancipation in Texas. People in the area were already gathering each year before the park dedication.

An early local announcement of freedom took place about 2.5 miles south of the park. The 1968 historical marker records crowds as large as 20,000. A local anniversary had grown into a regional gathering. The marker stands at the park entrance.

Ralph Long represented Limestone County at the Texas constitutional convention of 1866. For years, he was a featured speaker at the celebrations. Sometimes he addressed the crowd from a wagon bed in the shade.

Giles Cotton, Dave Medlock, and Sheppard Mullins came from the local emancipation-era community and served as Black legislators. On July 7, 1912, the 19th of June Organization received a charter. It would administer the park and preserve the region's history. The deed gave the gatherings permanent ground; the charter gave that ground an organization.