The Thomas Sisters: Legends from Holly Grove / The Johnsons, Powells and Awkards of Holly Grove

The Thomas Sisters: Legends from Holly Grove, also, The Johnsons, Powells and Awkards of Holly Grove. Sandy Spring African American Heritage Trail. , The Thomas Sisters: Legends from Holly Grove , Branson Cook (1845-1932) married Mary Augusta Pratt (1848-1914), the fifth child of William and Eliza Howard Pratt. Elizabeth Rebecca Cook, daughter of Branson and Mary Pratt Cook, married George Howard Thomas, b. 30 March 1880 (parents Benjamin Franklin Thomas and Martha Holland). Alice Carolyn Thomas, b. 1919, Mable Drusilla Thomas (b. 08/1/1927), Doris Lorraine Thomas (b. 09/11/1928) are among George Howard Thomas' six children. Mable and Lorraine were born in Sandy Spring and the three Thomas sisters grew up in Holly Grove. The children attended Hill Top Elementary School and Mable and Lorraine went on the Lincoln High School and Carver in Rockville while Alice attended schools in New York., Mable Thomas was one of the Star pupils at Lincoln High. Her story is Legend. ,

"Sunday, March 26, 1944 was a day to remember. Five Lincoln High School students, including Helen Baker, Lillian Hayes, Violet Israel, Mae Mitchell and Mable D. Thomas competed against 5 Armstrong High School students on a history quiz on WMAL radio station. The mood was electric. The Armstrong High Students boasted about being in competition with a little country school team from Lincoln High. After two rounds of competition the Armstrong team led the competition. The Lincoln team rallied, came from behind to tie the score at the end of regulation. Then came Mable Thomas, like Wilma Rudolph, brought them across the finish line in an upset victory over a humbled Armstrong team."

, Mable Thomas attended Morgan State University where she earned a Bachelor's degree majoring in Mathematics and English. Her post-graduate work was at NYU where she earned a Master's degree in Education. Her early teaching career was at Lincoln High School She became the Assistant Principal at Rockville's George Washington Carver High School. She then served as Assistant Principal at Rockville's Robert E. Peary High School. Many of her students today still remember "Miss Thomas" and the extraordinary influence she had on their lives and the quality education they received from her. After 30 years of committed and dedicated service she retired in 1978., After retiring, she enjoyed 40 years of hosting family and friends at her home in Holly Grove that she and her loving sister Alice shared. She also was instrumental in uniting the Canadian and American branches of her family and was one of the founding cousins of the Holland Howard Family Reunion Committee. During these retirement years, she epitomized the roles of community activist and champion, philanthropist, friend and ardent supporter of the Wesleyan Fellowship and Sandy Spring Slave Museum., Ms. Alice Thomas , A Lady in every sense of the word. Quiet, cool, kind, gracious and just nice. She was the one that went away to high school in New York. She returned to work for the federal government in Washington, DC. But Ms. Alice never forgot her roots, and returned to Sandy Spring. At 103 all who have had the pleasure of meeting her, emulate her. She is our lady of Sandy Spring., Lorraine Thomas Driver , She is the soul of Wesleyan Fellowship, Sandy Spring Slave Museum. Without a doubt the program must be organized her way and she is known to remove her earphones in disapproval when when she does not like the message of pastor Kenny or the hymns that Stanley Johnson selected. Expert on the soul and soil, Ms. Lorraine is an avid gardener--who never forgets to donate the produce from her garden, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and more. Thanks to her we owe the beautification of the Slave Museum grounds. Ms. Lorraine born on November 9, 1928 passed away December 29 2020., The Johnsons, Powells and Awkards of Holly Grove , Caroline's Carolyn) father was Emmerson Johnson, whose parents were Louis Johnson and Mary Hall Johnson of Sandy Spring. Louis Johnson's father was Benjamin Johnson of Sandy Spring, possibly a former slave from the area. The Johnson and Powell descendents live on the Johnson homestead in Holly Grove., Samuel Eli Powell, Entrepreneur , Samuel Eli Powell was the grandfather of Caroline (Carolyn) Johnson and great grandfather of Walter P. Awkard. Samuel Powell was one of the free blacks present at the reading of the estate of Richard Thomas of the Cherry Grove plantation., On October 1, 1874 Samuel Eli Johnson was deeded 100 acres from the tract of land known as Snowdens Manor Enlarged owned by William H. Stabler. This tract encompassed the Holly Grove areas. He became a major landbroker/realtor that enabled black families to own land in the Holly Grove area. The Hill family was the other major landowner holding lands along Norwood Road towards New Hampshire Ave. in the East. Samuel sold 28 acres to 11 families:,

1/9/1875, 10 acres to Richard Addisson , 9/19/1877, 5 acres to Phineas Burgess Carroll , 6/11/1877, 10 acres to Benjamin W. Johnson , 4/14/1879, 5 acres to Maria Jackson , 12/13/1879, 10 acres to Charlotte Howard , 7/7/1885, 10 acres to William H. Snowden , 6/15/1886, 6 acres to Rachel Ann Williams , 1/27/1896, 10 acres to Lewis Johnson, grandfather of Walter P. Awkard , 6/9/1947, 10 acres 2 acres to Caroline Awkard, mother of Walter P. Awkard , 5/20/1963, 5 acres to Charlotte Chase, Samuel E. Powell also sold land to a Jackson, presumably to Clarence Mitchell Sr.'s wife (Juanita Jackson Mitchell) from Ashton, (Department of Wills, Rockville, MD Oct. 10, 1988) , descendent of Greenberry Howard from Unity, MD , Land inherited by Alma Powell Snowden, and later to Irene S. Curry