Juneteenth in McKinney, Texas

Juneteeth celebrations took place in a variety of locations, at schools, churches, veterans halls, fraternal lodges, and private homes and farms. In McKinney, the largest Juneteenth gatherings occurred at Rambo Park, Old Settler's Recreation Area, E. S. Doty High School, and in The Run.

Juneteenth events required extensive organization, for fundraising, scheduling, booking musicians, and coordinating volunteers. Most of McKinney's Juneteenth organizers were also local church, school and business leaders.

Professor E.S. Doty, the principal and namesake of Collin County's only Black High School, was the keynote speaker at a Juneteenth event in 1893. Professor H. J. Coffey, a colleague of Doty's, served as publicity coordinator for the Juneteenth Association in the 1950s. A  Courier-Gazette  [PDF] article from 1954 details the Juneteenth Association organizing committee, led by Clyde "Doc" Maxwell, with numerous deputy organizers and representatives from four McKinney neighborhoods.

Rambo Park is the earliest known location of Juneteenth celebrations in McKinney, with newspaper reports from 1892 and 1897.

Also called "The Fairgrounds", Rambo Park was McKinney's largest event venue in the late 1800s, hosting county fairs, horse races, Wild West shows, and the Barnum and Bailey circus. The popularity of Rambo Park waned in the early twentieth century, but Juneteenth baseball games were still being played here as late as 1923.

Between 1900 and 1940, the main event center for large Juneteenth gatherings shifted south from Rambo Park to what is now known as Old Settler's Recreation Area (OSRA). In historic newspapers, this area was usually called "The Eastside Park," "Old City Park," or simply "City Park."

During the Jim Crow era, Black citizens were legally prohibited from full access to public facilities, and McKinney's public parks were no exception. Although the section of OSRA permitted to Black residents is unclear, it possibly centered on what is now the west side of the park, around Mouzon Ballfields.

The Run is likely McKinney's oldest Black community, and the only one which fell within the original 1849 City Limit. St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, one of McKinney's largest and oldest Black congregations, was originally located in The Run on Titus Street. Several Black-owned businesses were located here, as well as lodge headquarters for fraternal societies.

The Run was often used as a start or end point for Juneteenth Parades, and events were held here in churches, businesses and private homes. Based on contemporary descriptions, Titus Street (formerly called "Church Street") was probably blocked off and used in a "street fair" type of community gathering. Newpapers from the 1890s to 1930s report that it was customary to have daytime celebrations at Rambo or Old Settler's Park, with people shifting to The Run in the evening for dinner, dancing and late-night celebrations.

Finch Park was established in 1914 when Mayor H.A. Finch donated private land to the city. Although located just south of The Run, racial segregation laws prohibited Black citizens from enjoying full use of this public park. Newspapers from the 1920s to the 1940s describe Juneteenth celebrations taking place in The Run, "near Finch Park", but not in the park itself.

Occasionally, city leadership would give special permission to allow Black residents full use of the park. One such case apparently occurred in 1941, when we have a rare report of Juneteenth celebrations taking place in Finch Park proper.

Finch Park became the favorite venue for Juneteenth celebrations in the 1970s and '80s. During this time, the Collin County NAACP and local churches were the key organizers of the event. Although these gatherings were smaller than those earlier in the 20th century, they still drew several hundred attendees.

Beginning around 1950, E. S. Doty High School became the center of Juneteenth celebrations in McKinney. This continued until the celebrations fell out of popularity about a decade later. Located in Lewisville, Doty High was the heart of McKinney's African-American community.

The school dates back to the 1870s, although the current building was constructed by the WPA in the 1930s. It was named after Professor Edward Sewell Doty, a graduate of Prairie View A&M University and a teacher and principal at the school for over 50 years. Doty High produced generations of educators, businesspeople, activists, and community leaders.

Juneteenth was observed in a variety of ways, all centered around community, memory and celebration. From the 1880s to the 1950s, Juneteenth events included elaborate parades with prizes for the best decorated cars and trucks, horseback riders, cyclists, military drills, brass bands, and marchers from Doty High School and fraternal groups such as the Knights of Pythias and the Masonic Lodge.

Other events included educational and patriotic speeches, special church services, live music and theater performances, contests for Juneteenth Queen, baseball games, picnics and barbecues, and "baby beauty pageants". People hosted guests from out of town, and frequently travelled to Dallas for larger events or special performances. Fishing, "car camping" and lakeside trips were also popular.

Following World Wars I and II, veterans groups played an increasingly important role in Juneteenth celebrations. Returning veterans marched in parades and were honored with special events, and dances, dinners and musical performances were hosted at VFW halls.