While Milwaukee hosts one of the longest-running Juneteenth celebrations in the country, records show there were similar events in Wisconsin even earlier.
Longtime residents in Delavan recently uncovered a little-known piece of history.
Newspapers from 1886 detailed a local emancipation celebration about 20 years after the end of slavery. Roughly 200 people were there, many of them came from Beloit, Janesville, and Rockford, Illinois.
The day included music, a reading of the emancipation proclamation, speeches, and a dance.
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Delavan Mayor Ryan Schroeder is the current president of the city's historical society.
"What stood out is Al Matson and his story of being a slave, then making his way into the Delavan area and how he organized this celebration," Mayor Schroeder said.
A later article from 1888 indicated the city was getting ready to host the event again and it would include speeches, dinner, a dance, and boat rides. It explained the celebration took place in August in light of the emancipation in the West India Islands in 1883, as opposed to January when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, also citing the better weather conditions.
Schroeder added that says there are plans to do more research and bring similar events back to the city.
"It's nice to know that we're not starting something new. We're just building up on something that had already taken place," Mayor Schroeder stated.
While Delavan hosted large celebrations a future Wisconsin governor would find another way to commemorate the end of slavery.
Clayborn Benson is the executive director of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum in Milwaukee.
Benson said in 1915, during the 50th anniversary of the end of slavery Governor Emanuel Phillip saw an opportunity.
"He puts together an executive committee and an exhibit and takes it down to Chicago. People see the exhibit and see the kind of work that African-Americans do and it's a big moment in time in Wisconsin," Benson shared.
A pamphlet from that time explains the effort and the people behind it. Many of them were Black Americans.
"You can see there is a strong vibe of independence, enterprising, wanting to be real Wisconsin citizens, and the governor recognizes that," Benson explained.
It was a different way to celebrate freedom from slavery.
"It's not the festival but it's a governor waving the flag of African American citizens in the state of Wisconsin. It's African-Americans too. They're very proud of what they've accomplished here," Benson said.
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