George C. Howard (1818–1887) was a Nova Scotian-born American actor and showman who is credited with staging the first theatrical production of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Howard’s father was originally a carpenter who later operated a successful tallow and ship chandler business until it was consumed in a devastating fire and his contracts with the British Navy were lost to competitors.

[2][3][4][5] In 1852 Howard hired Caroline's cousin George L. Aiken to adapt for the stage Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.

The play debuted on September 27, 1852, at Peale’s Museum in Troy, New York, with a cast largely made up of family and friends of Howard's that included his four-year-old daughter, Cordelia.

[2][3][4][5] In 1857 George C. Howard became the manager of the Troy Adelphi Theatre, but returned to the road after box office receipts did not meet expectations.

Walter Scott Howard was born on June 26, 1868, at New York City and later became an actor with Joseph Jefferson’s company before going on to play in a number of Shakespearean productions.

In later life Walter passed up an opportunity to direct in Hollywood and returned to Massachusetts where wrote about current events and published children’s books and works of poetry.

[9] Among the papers were the original manuscripts for stage production of Uncle Tom's Cabin by George Aiken, playbills, scrapbooks, photographs, memoirs, and some of the Howard family script library.