[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 92 (Friday, July 15, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 15, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
A TRIBUTE TO A UNIQUE FAMILY: THE HOWARDS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD, AND 
                    THE HOLLANDS OF ONTARIO, CANADA

                                 ______


                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 14, 1994

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, it is a proud moment for me to rise and 
pay tribute to a remarkable family--the Howards of Montgomery County, 
MD, and the Hollands of Hamilton, ON, Canada. This special family is 
gathering for their sixth reunion in Gaithersburg, MD, that ends July 
17.
  The Howards and the Hollands trace their origins in the United States 
to the early 1800's, when their ancestors lived under the dreadful yoke 
of slavery. The Howard family is said to be descended from Jack and 
Polly Howard, who were slaves on the plantations of the Gaithers, 
Howse, and Griffith families of Montgomery County. Jack and Polly had 
eight children. The Hollands of Canada are descendents of Jack and 
Polly's second child, Leatha Howard Holland Webster.
  It was Leatha Howard's two sons who established the family in 
Hamilton, ON, Canada. William Hanson Holland and Thomas John Holland 
escaped to freedom in Canada and changed the family name from Howard to 
Holland out of fear that they would be kidnaped and returned to America 
during the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act.
  The Hollands of Canada lost contact with the Howards in America for 
more than 125 years. Then, in 1978, members of the Howard family 
attended a family reunion in Ontario. A plan was devised to bring the 
entire family together in 1984, in Gaithersburg, MD.
  Mr. Speaker, the Howard-Holland family is rich in accomplishments. In 
1867, George Enoch Howard petitioned the Montgomery County government 
for a school to educate African-American children. The petition was 
granted in 1880, and the land for the school was a gift from George 
Enoch. John Henry Howard built Howard Chapel and Howard Chapel Rd., in 
Montgomery County, is named for him. Mary E. Howard married John Henry 
Murphy and, together, they founded one of America's great black 
newspapers, the Afro-American. Betty Simpson is the founder and current 
director of the North American Historical Museum in Amherstburg, ON.
  The Howard-Holland family is an American family in the best 
traditions of this Nation. Throughout their history in America, they 
have dared to challenge injustice and discrimination. I commend them 
for their perseverance and their diligence in light of the obstacles 
they have faced and surmounted. I am honored to add my voice to the 
praises of friends and colleagues who salute them on the occasion of 
their sixth family reunion.

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