Individuals >> Howland, Edward (1832-1890)

Journalist, Essayist, Reformer.

Edward Howland is remembered as an "elegant scholar" who sold "his choice library he had spent many years and a fortune to collect" to help Henry Clapp launch the Saturday Press (Rawson 107). Howland married Marie Case (nee Stevens) a “strong-minded New England school-teacher, who imbued him with schemes for the amelioration of the human race” (“General Gossip”, Current Literature 479). He co-authored two books on maritime history and adventures with fellow Pfaffian Frank Goodrich, before he, like Pfaff’s regular John Swinton, developed an interest in labor issues. In the 1870s, his work focused on the railroad industry and was published in the periodical Harper’s. He also published The Palace of Industry: An Account of the Experiment at Guise, France (1872).

Later, Howland and his wife journeyed to Mexico to become part of an "American socialistic colony at Topolobampo" (“General Gossip”, Current Literature 479). After his death, Howland’s widow continued their work in Mexico.

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References & Biographical Resources

"General gossip of authors and writers." Current Literature. 1888: 476-480. [more about this work]

Mentioned as one of the Bohemians at Pfaff's "gossiped" about by Rufus B. Wilson in a "reminiscent letter to the Galveston News." The blurb gives "updates" on the whereabouts of many of the former Bohemians.

"Edward Howland, who succeeded Clapp as editor of the Saturday Press, married a strong-minded New England school-teacher, who imbued him with schemes for the amelioration of the human race, and the pair are now members of the American socialistic colony at Topolobampo, in Mexico. Queer ending, isn't it, to the life of a man who began his career as editor of a wild, devil-may-care Bohemian organ?" [pages: 479]

Miller, Tice L. Bohemians and Critics: American Theatre Criticism in the Nineteenth Century. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1981. [more about this work]

Met Henry Clapp in the summer of 1858 and soon joined him in setting up the New York Saturday Press. Howland was in charge of the business side of the publication. [pages: 26]

Mott, Frank Luther. A History of American Magazines, Volume II: 1850-1865. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1938. [more about this work]

Identified as the co-founder of The Saturday Press with Henry Clapp. [pages: 38]

Rawson, A. L. "A Bygone Bohemia." Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly. 1896. 96-107. [more about this work]

[pages: 107]

Winter, William. Old Friends; Being Literary Recollections of Other Days. New York: Moffat, Yard and Company, 1909. 407 p. [more about this work]

He is listed by Winter as one of the Bohemians who frequented Pfaff's Cave (88).

"The Saturday Press" was started by Clapp and Howland in 1858 (137).

Howland ("by whom the paper had been projected") is listed as one of the "friendly contributors" to the "Saturday Press," who "were glad to furnish articles for nothing, being friendly toward the establishment of an absolutely independent critical paper, a thing practically unknown in those days" (294-295). [pages: 88,137,294-295]