Slocum Howland (1794–1881) successfully combined the values of his Quaker faith with commercial pursuits, making his store part of Sherwood's busy Underground Railroad network. He signed a petition in 1835 declaring that "slavery.…. is utterly repugnant both to the letter and to the spirit of the Bible.” Once he opened the store in 1837, he used the wagons and boats moving through the Finger Lakes region to conduct people such as Thomas and James Hart and the Herman Phillips family from southern slavery north to freedom. Howland's family shared his commitment to abolitionism and equal rights. In 1857, his daughter Emily Howland taught in a School for African American girls in Washington, D.C. She financially supported Sherwood Select School, as well as about fifty African American schools throughout the South. Her Quaker belief in equality led her to work for women's rights and women's suffrage in addition to her anti-slavery activities.