06/19/2026
Juneteenth, once known as Emancipation Day, has been celebrated by Livingston County residents for generations, reaching back to the holidayโs origins at the end of the Civil War.
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the war was over and the enslaved were now free. Two years had passed since President Abraham Lincolnโs Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, so the holiday recognizes total freedom from slavery across all of the United States.
According to the Livingston County Historianโs Office, Portage was a popular Emancipation Day picnic spot in the 1870s. Richard Gay of Nunda often spoke at the ceremonies. Gay escaped slavery and worked as a cook for General Grant before coming north with the 1st NY Dragoons.
Avon, Caledonia, and nearby Scottsville also hosted large annual picnics through the 1910s that drew hundreds to the region. These celebrations of freedom and community included sporting events, games, speeches, and music performances with dancing long into the evening.
In 1903, Stella Peterson read the Emancipation Proclamation at the picnic held at Garbutt, N.Y., in front of a crowd of over 1,000 people. Peterson was one of the first Black women to graduate from the Geneseo Normal School (now SUNY Geneseo) and was a daughter of Edward G. Peterson. At age 18, Edward fought for the Union with Company I of the 26th US Colored Infantry Regiment. Geneseoโs longest-lived Civil War veteran โsaw service in many battles but never received a scratch.โ
By the 1930s, Emancipation Day celebrations had mostly shifted to Rochester, where Livingston County residents continued to join in the festivities.
In 1994, in the spirit of its earlier Emancipation Day celebrations, Rochester joined other New York State cities when it put on its first โJuneteenthโ celebration at the Strong Museum. Juneteenth became an official New York State holiday in 2020, a federal holiday in 2021, and a Livingston County holiday in 2023. Today, local groups continue to collaborate on Juneteenth events, offering music, food, parades, dance performances, and vigils that celebrate Black heritage and culture.
Special thanks to the Livingston County Historian's Office for this look at our region's Juneteenth history.