[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 109 (Friday, June 28, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E681]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF OGLE HARRIS AND THE DEDICATION OF OGLE HARRIS 
                            WAY IN OCCOQUAN

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ABIGAIL DAVIS SPANBERGER

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 28, 2024

  Ms. SPANBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and celebrate the life 
of Ogle Harris and his contributions to the history of Occoquan, 
Virginia and Virginia's Seventh Congressional District.
  Born in Virginia in 1872, Ogle Harris grew up as one of five 
children. He spent his life in the Town of Occoquan where he raised his 
seven children from his marriages to Cora L. Peyton and Lottie Bowles.
  In the early part of the 20th century, Harris opened a business in 
Occoquan selling handmade ice cream out of his home's summer kitchen on 
Washington Street and at the African American Odd Fellows Hall. He 
eventually converted his ice cream shop into one of Occoquan's two main 
grocery stores.
  Mr. Harris was known throughout the community for his honesty, 
generosity, and his upstanding character, which allowed his business to 
flourish. After his death in 1949, his son, Arthur, and his daughter-
in-law, Doris, took over the store. The store served as a center for 
Occoquan's commercial and African American communities and continuously 
supported the success of the Town of Occoquan until its closure in 
1974.
  In recognition of and appreciation for Ogle Harris and his 
descendants' contributions to the Town of Occoquan, the Occoquan Town 
Council has bestowed the honorary designation of ``Ogle Harris Way'' to 
the 100 block of Poplar Alley.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating Ogle 
Harris's life and his contributions to the Town of Occoquan. His legacy 
will live on through the designation of ``Ogle Harris Way'' and the 
memories of his impact on the Occoquan community.

                          ____________________