[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE ONE-HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GUM 
                           SPRINGS COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 2, 2009

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
the One-hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary of the Gum Springs 
Community in Alexandria, Virginia. The Gum Springs Historical Society 
celebrated the anniversary on May 16, 2009.
  Gum Springs is an African-American community founded in 1833 by West 
Ford, a freed slave. West previously was owned by John Augustine 
Washington and frequently accompanied John's brother, General George 
Washington following the Revolutionary War. As a freed man, West 
inherited 160 acres from the Washington family adjacent to Mount Vernon 
which he later sold to acquire a nearby tract of 214 acres that became 
the basis of the Gum Springs Community.
  West Ford's Gum Springs Community became a refuge for freed and 
runaway slaves before the Civil War, and the residents built homes, 
became farmers and loggers and worked in other various trades. They 
took a patch of land, empty except for a solitary gum tree, and built a 
place of belonging for many Americans who, sadly, were marginalized and 
discriminated against in general society. Despite the hardships they 
were forced to endure, the residents persevered and prospered and the 
Gum Springs Community is a vibrant home to 2,500 people today.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the 
Gum Springs Community on its One-hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary, 
and thank the Gum Springs Historical Society for preserving the 
heritage and courage of those first residents who overcame tremendous 
challenges and successfully raised their families and created a lasting 
community.

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