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First Emancipation Observance – 1866 AL311 |
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Montgomery’s first observance of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was New Year’s Day at Wilson’s Grove on Mildred Street. A parade formed at Gilmer’s Warehouse, Commerce Street. Invited were a brass band, the governor, legislators, aldermen, businessmen, benevolent societies, churches and fire engine companies. Peyton Finley, parade marshal, was the first black member of the State Board of Education. Speakers of the day included Holland Thompson, first black alderman and a state legislator, who advised “show by good conduct, industry, and fidelity, that the year 1866 was a year of jubilee, instead of insurrection.” He also told the crowd to acquire land, homes, and education for their children.
- Montgomery County Alabama
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Alabama 