HOLMES, Samuel
Samuel HOLMES, known throughout the entire
section of the country in which he lives as Squire HOLMES, is
one of the most prominent citizens and farmers in
Hopewell
township, Marshall
county. His father, also named Samuel, was a native of Lancashire, England,
born in 1786, while his grandfather, James HOLMES, was also a
native of the same shire. His mother was Hannah JACKSON, a
native of Chestershire,
England, and a daughter of
James JACKSON, who came to America
in 1812, locating in New Jersey,
near Trenton, where he made a
permanent home. Samuel HOLMES, the father, came to
America
in 1818, landing in New York city,
and going from thence to
Clinton, New Jersey, where he married Hannah JACKSON.
Shortly after their marriage they removed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
where he worked as a common laborer for a time, and subsequently
operated a lumber yard.
In 1835 the family came west and settled in
Putnam county,
Illinois, in the heavy timber land. The
country was then very sparsely settled, and the father at once
commenced the clearing up of the small farm. In his native
country he had been educated as a veterinary surgeon, and it is
said that he had not a superior in this line in America. Before coming to this
country he was veterinary for the Earl of Balcares, and had
considerable experience in the line of his profession. He never
followed that business in this country for money simply, but
responded to calls from Ottawa
to Bloomington,
and throughout this entire section of country.
Samuel HOLMES, Sr., was a pioneer in Putnam
county, and came to this country with his wife, two sons and a
step-son. One child died in infancy. Of the sons, Joseph, born
November 20, 1819, married Miss Avis TABER, and now lives in
southern California. They are the parents of four
children, Mary, J. H., Avis and Samuel J. The latter is a
graduate of the state university of California,
and is a professor of biology in the
Chicago
university. The other son is the subject of this sketch. In 1850
the father went to
California, making the journey overland,
and there died shortly after his arrival, October 29, 1850. The
mother survived him many years, dying on the old homestead in
1876. Under the old constitution of
Illinois, Mr. HOLMES became a voter, but
never became a partisan politician and never held office.
Samuel HOLMES, our subject, was born
January 4, 1822, at Trenton, New Jersey, and commenced attending the public schools at
Philadelphia
after the removal of the family to that place. He also attended
one or two terms in the pioneer schools of
Illinois. His education, it may be said,
was principally obtained by reading and observation. In his
desire to acquire knowledge he has many times jumped upon a
horse, ridden ten miles to borrow a book, then by means of a dip
made of lard, in a saucer, with a rag for a wick, he and his
brother would study after their day’s work was completed. The
two brothers helped clear the farm in Putnam county, and both
remained at home until after attaining their majority. For some
seasons they made brick, which they sold throughout the country.
On one occasion after manufacturing a large number of brick they
constructed a flatboat to carry their product south, but were
prevented from doing so by low water. In the fall of 1843, in
company with another man, our subject engaged in cutting wood
for the steamers on the Illinois river.
After piling up some eight hundred cords and looking hopefully
forward to the time when they could dispose of the results of
their hard winter’s work, the flood of 1844 came upon them,
carrying every stick of their wood down the river. He then went
to work with his brother on the farm, and worked thus for nearly
two years.
On the 6th of November, 1846, Mr. HOLMES
was united in marriage with Miss Sarah WHITE, a native of North Carolina, and
daughter of William WHITE, also a native of the same state, but
who came to this county about 1836. By this union there are four
children, Anna, who married George HUME, is now deceased; Jane,
who married Amos DeBAULT, now resides in
Oklahoma; Samuel, who married Hulda
NEWPHINE, now lives in the state of Washington, and Emma B., who
married Joseph TABER, is now deceased.
Soon after marriage Mr. HOLMES purchased a
tract of wild prairie land in Henry township, of which he
improved one hundred and sixty acres, building thereon a small
cabin, in which the family lived from the spring of 1847 until
1849, and then sold out. In the summer of 1850 he went to the
gold fields of California, across the plains. He started
from Council Bluffs, Iowa, with four men under contract to work
for him a year. They crossed the Missouri river May 28, and
arrived at Placerville,
California, August 21. After working in
the mines until the spring of 1852 he returned to his home by
the Nicaragua
route, arriving home August 1, 1852. While he was away his wife
purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land lying east and
south of his present farm, but was living in the house where
they now reside. From that time until the present he has
followed farming, with the exception of two years spent in
visiting his brother in southern
California. For the past six years he
has rented the farm, which comprises two hundred and forty acres
of well improved land.
Mrs. Sarah HOLMES, his first wife, was born
in 1825, and died in 1868. One year later he married Miss Sarah
C. TABER, a native of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and a daughter of Benjamin Nerab (COFFIN)
TABER, the former a native of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and the latter of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
They came west in 1837, and settled in Knox county, Illinois, where he died many years ago. The
mother died and was buried in the cemetery at Henry. They were
the parents of eight children, three of whom are now living: Dr.
Benjamin, now residing in Dallas, Texas; Sarah C.,
the wife of our subject, and Avis, who married Joseph HOLMES,
and now resides in southern
California. Mrs. HOMES was born January
30, 1816, and was educated in the public schools of
New Bedford, finishing her course in the seminary
at Providence, Rhode Island. The Taber family were descended
from the Coffin family, which was founded by Tristam COFFIN, who
settled at Salisbury, Massachusetts, in 1642.
In politics Mr. HOLMES is an uncompromising
democrat, and has taken a somewhat active part in local affairs.
For four years he served as justice of the peace in Hopewell township, three years as commissioner
of highways and school director and trustee for many years. His
grand-daughter, Maud E. HOLMES, is a graduate of the Henry high
school, and has been a successful teacher. She is a very
cultured and highly refined lady, and takes great interest in
ancient lore, especially all matters pertaining to the history
of the family.
Extracted March 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois,
1896.
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