Frederick Douglass, Cumberland's Emancipation Celebration, 1879

rederick Douglass, Cumberland's Emancipation Celebration

The following article appeared in the September 24, 1879 edition of the Washington Post. It was forwarded to me by the Allegany Museum. The fairgrounds reference were at that time located in South Cumberland:

"On this day, September 23 1879, Marshal Frederick Douglass arrived by express train at Cumberland’s Queen City hotel. Douglass was to lecture for the Emancipation celebration.
“Emancipation Day” was yesterday celebrated in this city in a very enthusiastic manner by the colored people, who flocked to the city in large numbers from the neighboring towns of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. It was a gala day for the colored race. About 2,000 visitors were in town, and the streets presented an animated appearance. The weather was cloudy but no rain fell, and everything went off pleasantly. About noon a procession was formed, which passed through the principal streets and wended its way to the Fair grounds, which are located in a commanding position to the east of the city. Several Masonic and other secret societies appeared in line.

Marshal Douglass arrived on the express train from Washington at 2:10 P.M. He was met at the Queen City hotel by an immense crowd of people, and escorted through the principal streets in a barouche, in which were seated Mayor William J. Read, Hon. Henry W. Hoffman, and Rev. B. H. Lee, the pastor of the A.M.E. Church of this city, who was also the president of the meeting. The procession arrived at the Fair grounds at 3 o’clock, escorted by a band of music."