[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 39 (Thursday, March 10, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E291-E292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WILLIAM FENTON HOWE FAMILY IN 
                        PORT ORCHARD, WASHINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DEREK KILMER

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 10, 2016

  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the William Fenton 
Howe family for their contributions to the history of the Pacific 
Northwest and to recognize their 125th anniversary of calling the city 
of Port Orchard, Washington, home.
  In 1888 the William Fenton Howe family migrated from Altoona, 
Pennsylvania, to Tacoma in what was then the Washington Territory.

[[Page E292]]

  On March 6, 1891, William Fenton Howe moved his family to the town of 
Sidney, now known as Port Orchard, on the shores of the Sinclair Inlet 
of Puget Sound. The family, which consisted of his wife Emma and 
children Harry, William, Edwin, Roy, and Edith, moved into the house 
located at 307 Cline Street, which remains standing today.
  At the time of the Howe family's arrival, Sidney was becoming known 
for its lumber industry, pottery works, small business, and 
agricultural opportunities. In 1890, Sidney became the first town in 
Kitsap County to incorporate and was chosen as the county seat, and 
later renamed Port Orchard. The Howe family was a leader in the 
business community and contributed to the town's growth by establishing 
Howe Hardware, the first hardware store in the community.
  In 1895 the Howe family suffered a devastating year with the death of 
Emma Howe and a fire at Howe Hardware. After the losses, William Fenton 
Howe left his children with various families in the community and 
headed north to Alaska to pursue opportunities to provide for them.
  William Fenton Howe, a savvy businessman, set out to make his mark in 
Alaska's booming mining industry. Not only did Mr. Howe know how to 
manage a hardware store, but he was also a skilled tinsmith and built 
stoves for the miners while they looked for gold. One of his sons, 
Edwin Scott Howe, joined in the pursuit of ``mining the miner'' as they 
built stoves that prevented the miners from facing certain death in the 
Arctic wilderness of Nome, Alaska.
  In Port Orchard, William Fenton Howe's children continued their 
father's legacy in the business community. After the death of William 
Fenton Howe, sons Edwin and Harry opened Howe Brothers Hardware as 
partners. The family also owned and operated Howe Oil Company and Howe 
Motor Company, a Ford dealership still in operation after 103 years. 
Deeply embedded in the community, members of the Howe family served on 
town council, were engaged in civic organizations, and rallied the 
community to bring electric power to Port Orchard and the Washington 
Veterans Home Retsil to Kitsap County.
  Mr. Speaker, the Howe family has a long lineage of public service in 
the business community as well as in local government and local 
organizations. In 2013, the Howe family was one of five families to be 
recognized for their contributions to Port Orchard and the surrounding 
area by the Kitsap County Historical Society. I am honored to recognize 
the Howe family's contributions to the community of Port Orchard and 
recognize their 125th anniversary on this past Sunday, March 6, 2016.

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