People's United Closing Branches Early For Juneteenth

HARTFORD/TOLLAND COUNTIES, CT —People's United Bank officials said branches will be closing early Friday in observance of Juneteenth.

Branches will be closed for drive-up service and limited customers apointments at 2 p.m.

The bank's ATM machness, online servcices and mobile banking options will be available for use.

According to various historical accounts, Juneteenth is the oldest national commemoration of slavery ending in the United States.

The observance dates back to the Civil War and June 19, 1865, when Union Army soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that slaves were now free.

For those keeping score, that's two-and-a half-years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which became effective on Jan, 1, 1863.