10 acres of land: $800
Historic symbol of achievement: priceless
In 1872, former slaves bought the 10-acre Emancipation Park. Today, the Third Ward park features picnic tables, park benches, basketball and tennis courts, a gazebo, playgrounds, a swimming pool, and a community center.
By Paul Beckman
It first glance, Houston’s Emancipation Park doesn’t seem different from any other park. But its history makes the park’s value immeasurable.
In 1872, former slaves bought the 10-acre Third Ward park. Less than a decade earlier, they had learned of their liberation from slavery on June 19, 1865, or Juneteenth. Now, their newly purchased land gave them a place to celebrate that historic date.
“It is one of the first parks in Texas to be created by former enslaved African-Americans specifically for this event,” said Debra Sloan, Harris County Historical Commission member.
Landing a deal
When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, slavery was officially dead in the Confederacy. But it took another couple of years for it to become a reality in Texas.
In 1872, former slaves, the Rev. Jack Yates, Antioch Baptist Church, the Rev. Elias Dibble, Trinity Methodist Episcopal, and politician Richard Allen, led fundraising efforts to buy land for the Juneteenth celebrations.
The congregations came through. On July 10, 1872, “Lot 25” was purchased for $800, and Emancipation Park was born.
“The park is an important symbol of achievement,” Sloan said. “Black ministers preached land ownership, and trustees purchased the land within a few years after emancipation.”
Park Growth
Not only had Juneteenth celebrations occurred annually at the park, but the park also became a hub for the black community.
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| On the baseball diamond, Third Ward residents practice for the park’s adult softball league. |
“Other than church, it was really the first place African-Americans could meet and do outdoor activities,” said Dorris Ellis, president of the Friends of Emancipation Park. “Many people went to learn. There was a library there where people could read or learn to read.”
The Protected Landmark Designation Report for the park prepared by the Planning & Development Department offers a glimpse of what the park was like in the early 1900s.
Elderly residents described it as “being enclosed by a six-foot high privacy fence and encircled by a racetrack, with the remainder of the property containing two dance floors, a stable, and a beer tavern.”
The city acquired Emancipation Park in 1918. Because of segregation, blacks were limited to Emancipation Park until Finnigan Park opened in 1940.
Emancipation Park continued to thrive. In 1938 and 1939, the Public Works Administration added a recreation center, swimming pool, and bath house.
Modern Park
Last year the park received a protected landmark designation from the city.
But knowing Emancipation Park’s history, Ellis said she feels a strong obligation to keep “the precious site” as an indispensable fixture in Houston.
“Those who first had the idea made it come true,” Ellis said. “What I tell people is we should work to maintain it and continue to build something that benefits the community.”
The Friends of Emancipation Park continues to improve the park. Buildings have been painted, and some Houston Rockets players helped plant trees.
Ellis said her organization is submitting proposals to the Parks & Recreation Department for more improvements.
“We want the park to be a destination,” Ellis said. “When people come to Houston, we want them to experience its age and its history.
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