WEBVTT HISTORY MONTH REPORT.HISTORY MONTH REPORT.>> IT IS A CRIT -- QUICK DRIVE,>> IT IS A CRIT -- QUICK DRIVE,FAR SHORTER THAN THE JOURNEYFAR SHORTER THAN THE JOURNEYTOWARD ITS EXISTENCE, A LEGACYTOWARD ITS EXISTENCE, A LEGACYTHAT NOW RESTS HERE.THAT NOW RESTS HERE.>> THREE OF THEM ARE IN THE>> THREE OF THEM ARE IN THESYRIA.SYRIA.>> HARRIET LOWRY POINTS OUT THE>> HARRIET LOWRY POINTS OUT THERESTING PLACE, 18 BLACK UNIONRESTING PLACE, 18 BLACK UNIONSOLDIERS.SOLDIERS.GETTING HERE WAS COMPLICATED.GETTING HERE WAS COMPLICATED.EXTREMELY.EXTREMELY.>> THEY WERE ENSLAVED AND TO GO>> THEY WERE ENSLAVED AND TO GOOFF TO WAR, NOT KNOWING WHATOFF TO WAR, NOT KNOWING WHATMIGHT HAPPEN BUT WHAT THEY HADMIGHT HAPPEN BUT WHAT THEY HADTHE HOPE THEIR PARTICIPATION WASTHE HOPE THEIR PARTICIPATION WASBRING SOMETHING TO THEIR FAMILY.BRING SOMETHING TO THEIR FAMILY.>> WHAT THEY WOULD BRING WAS>> WHAT THEY WOULD BRING WASUNTHINKABLE.UNTHINKABLE.THEY PROVIDE A HOMETOWN,THEY PROVIDE A HOMETOWN,POSSIBLY THE ONLY ONE FOUNDED BYPOSSIBLY THE ONLY ONE FOUNDED BYFORMALLY ENSLAVED SOLDIERS.FORMALLY ENSLAVED SOLDIERS.EACH NAME MARKS PLOTS OF LANDEACH NAME MARKS PLOTS OF LANDLEASE TO THEM BY A QUAKER COUPLELEASE TO THEM BY A QUAKER COUPLE..IN A COUNTY WHERE IT WAS MOREIN A COUNTY WHERE IT WAS MORELIKELY THEY WOULD BE PROPERTYLIKELY THEY WOULD BE PROPERTYMUCH THIS OWN IT.MUCH THIS OWN IT.THE CORE VALUES OF FAITH,THE CORE VALUES OF FAITH,FAMILY, AND FRIENDS WERE THEFAMILY, AND FRIENDS WERE THECOMMUNITIES LIFE BLOOD.COMMUNITIES LIFE BLOOD.THE PASTOR SAYS THAT HAS NOTTHE PASTOR SAYS THAT HAS NOTCHANGED.CHANGED.>> THE DEVOTION TO FAMILY THEN>> THE DEVOTION TO FAMILY THENAND THE DEVOTION I SEE TO FAMILYAND THE DEVOTION I SEE TO FAMILYNOW, MULTI-GENERATIONS, HOWNOW, MULTI-GENERATIONS, HOWPEOPLE LOOK AT -- AFTER THEIRPEOPLE LOOK AT -- AFTER THEIRELDERS, IT IS STILL GOING ON NOWELDERS, IT IS STILL GOING ON NOWAND ALSO THE COMMITMENT TOAND ALSO THE COMMITMENT TOFREEDOM.FREEDOM.THY DID NOT TAKE IT LIGHTLYTHY DID NOT TAKE IT LIGHTLYFROM THE TIME THEY CHANGED THEFROM THE TIME THEY CHANGED THEFROM THE TIME THEY CHANGED THECOMMUNITY’S NAME TO UNIONVILLECOMMUNITY’S NAME TO UNIONVILLEAND THE ACT OF SERVICE OF SOAND THE ACT OF SERVICE OF SOMANY ABLE-BODIED MEN WHO SERVED.MANY ABLE-BODIED MEN WHO SERVED.>> A PARADE IN CELEBRATION>> A PARADE IN CELEBRATIONMARKED 150 YEARS OF UNIONVILLE.MARKED 150 YEARS OF UNIONVILLE.THESE ARE THE FACES THAT LARRYTHESE ARE THE FACES THAT LARRYDECIDED TO RETURN TO AFTERDECIDED TO RETURN TO AFTERLIVING IN BALTIMORE FOR YEARS.LIVING IN BALTIMORE FOR YEARS.MUCH LIKE SOLDIERS RETURNINGMUCH LIKE SOLDIERS RETURNINGHOME BECAUSE OF ONE WORD.HOME BECAUSE OF ONE WORD.>> LOVE.>> LOVE.TO ME, LOVE.TO ME, LOVE.ANYONE WHO GOES OFF TO WAR ANDANYONE WHO GOES OFF TO WAR ANDWHATEVER THEY SEE IN THAT WARWHATEVER THEY SEE IN THAT WARAND TO COMPARE THAT TO WHAT THEYAND TO COMPARE THAT TO WHAT THEYHAD BEFORE HAD TO BE SOME KINDHAD BEFORE HAD TO BE SOME KINDOF CALLING FOR THEM TO COMEOF CALLING FOR THEM TO COME
Unionville's founders celebrated as town marks 150 years
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Updated: 6:14 PM EST Feb 12, 2018
The Eastern Shore town of Unionville celebrated 150 years last summer, and its history is far more about the people than the land it rests on.Eighteen Union black soldiers left the area enslaved, but returned as landowners. Two of Harriette Lowery's descendants are among the men. "They were enslaved, and to go off to war not even knowing what might happen, they had the hope that their participation in that war would bring something to their family," Lowery said. What the 18 slaves-turned-soldiers would bring was unthinkable. They'd provide a hometown, which was possibly the only one founded by formerly-enslaved soldiers. Each name on a map marks plots of land leased to them by a Quaker couple, the Cowgills, in a county where, at the time, it was more likely they'd be property, much less own it. St. Stephen's AME Church would also become theirs. It was where the core values of faith, family and friends were the community's life blood, and its pastor, the Rev. Nancy Dennis, said that hasn't changed. "That whole devotion to family then, and the devotion I see the family now, multi-generations, how people look up at their elders, it's still going on now," Dennis said. "Also, the commitment to freedom. They didn't take it lightly from the time they changed the community's name from Cowgillstown to Unionville, and the act of service of so many able-bodied men who served." A parade and celebration in 2017 marked 150 years of Unionville. Lowery decided to return after living in Baltimore for years, much like soldiers choosing to return home because of one word -- "love." "Love, love, to me, love. I think anybody who goes out to war, and whatever they see in that war, to compare that to what they had before, (it) had to be some kind of calling for them to come back," Lowery said. It's a calling that Lowery's family continues to answer as they call Unionville home.
UNIONVILLE, Md. — The Eastern Shore town of Unionville celebrated 150 years last summer, and its history is far more about the people than the land it rests on.
Eighteen Union black soldiers left the area enslaved, but returned as landowners. Two of Harriette Lowery's descendants are among the men.
"They were enslaved, and to go off to war not even knowing what might happen, they had the hope that their participation in that war would bring something to their family," Lowery said.
What the 18 slaves-turned-soldiers would bring was unthinkable. They'd provide a hometown, which was possibly the only one founded by formerly-enslaved soldiers.
Each name on a map marks plots of land leased to them by a Quaker couple, the Cowgills, in a county where, at the time, it was more likely they'd be property, much less own it.
St. Stephen's AME Church would also become theirs. It was where the core values of faith, family and friends were the community's life blood, and its pastor, the Rev. Nancy Dennis, said that hasn't changed.
"That whole devotion to family then, and the devotion I see the family now, multi-generations, how people look up at their elders, it's still going on now," Dennis said. "Also, the commitment to freedom. They didn't take it lightly from the time they changed the community's name from Cowgillstown to Unionville, and the act of service of so many able-bodied men who served."
A parade and celebration in 2017 marked 150 years of Unionville. Lowery decided to return after living in Baltimore for years, much like soldiers choosing to return home because of one word -- "love."
"Love, love, to me, love. I think anybody who goes out to war, and whatever they see in that war, to compare that to what they had before, (it) had to be some kind of calling for them to come back," Lowery said.
It's a calling that Lowery's family continues to answer as they call Unionville home.
