Families can ride discounted trains to notable site for Black history in Valley
Amtrak will run special trains once again to a Juneteenth event in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.
It will be June 14 at Allensworth, named for the former slave who founded it in 1908. The town faded after several years due to the loss of its water supply and rail depot. Amtrak sets up a temporary platform next to what is now a state historic park.
All tickets are half off for the trip, then reduced even more by Amtrak's regular discounts for children, seniors and other groups. Four southbound trains will get them there before and during the gathering, which is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and return afterward.
The trip is on the San Joaquins corridor. It has five daily round trips between Bakersfield and Oakland and a sixth branching north to Sacramento. The stops on the way include Stockton, Modesto, Denair, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Hanford and Corcoran. Tickets can be purchased on the Amtrak website, which also has departure times.
Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when people in Galveston, Texas, got belated word of the Emancipation Proclamation. It is now a federal holiday on June 19 each year.
The town was named for Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth, who earlier had become the highest-ranking Black officer in the U.S. Army. Few of the old buildings remain, but the state has plans for a visitor center and other amenities. The nonprofit Friends of Allensworth is helping out.
Amtrak carried just 33 passengers on its first Allensworth promotion in 2019, said an email from Tom van der List of KP Public Affairs in Sacramento. Last year brought more than 350.
People who prefer to drive can go south on Highway 99 to Fresno, then south on Highway 43 to Allensworth.
The Amtrak rides are free this year for certain Black students in Stockton, Tracy, Bakersfield and the Bay Area, thanks to a grant from the nonprofit Parks California. The $50,000 will support current and future trips to Juneteenth and to the annual October event marking Allensworth joining the state park system in 1974.
The grant money was secured with help from the route's governing body, the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. 'This grant will help elevate and expand the Visit Allensworth program, while allowing travelers to experience the benefits of public transportation through Amtrak San Joaquins,' Executive Director Stacey Mortensen said in a news release. She added that it 'will reduce access barriers to this historically and culturally significant site, allowing Black communities throughout our service corridor to connect with this cornerstone of California's rich history.'
Some of the other passengers will be from a service club in Modesto. The Silver Square Lodge #66/Creators Club is calling it the 'Never Be Forgotten, Never Be Repeated Train Ride Back In Time.' More information is at 209-595-6966 or on the group's Facebook page.
The Bee has details on Juneteenth observances in Modesto, Riverbank and Lathrop as part of a roundup of various events this month.
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