On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring enslaved people in the Confederacy free. Promised only if the Union won the war and limited in application to only states that had seceded from the Union, this officially turned the war into a fight for freedom. Since Texas was one of the last strongholds of the South, emancipation would be a long-time coming in the state. Even after the war ended in 1865, two full years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, many enslaved people in the state still were not aware of their freedom. Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and declared, "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free." As a result, the day became known as Juneteenth. While celebrations have taken part across the country for years, President Biden officially designated Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021.

As a friendly reminder, the Faulkner County Courthouse & Administrative Offices are closed today, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in observance of Juneteenth Freedom Day. As always, our deputies remain available should you need our assistance during this time. If you have an emergency, please call 911. For non-emergencies, please contact dispatch at 501-328-5906. The Faulkner County Courthouse & Administrative Offices will reopen at 8:00am on Thursday, June 20, 2024, for normal business hours.

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