Judge James Holliday

HOLLIDAY, CAMPBELL, HARVEY, WHITTINGHARN, JONES, SMITH, ANDREWS, KIMBALL

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 4/7/2009 at 15:32:08

JUDGE JAMES HOLLIDAY, of West Exira, one of the early settlers of the county, was born near Wheeling, West Virginia, April 16, 1821. He is a son of William Holliday, a native of Virginia; the Hollidays were among the first settlers of West Virginia, their ancestors leaving New England, and settling in that State. The grandfather of James Holliday was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and endured all the extreme hardships of that hostile period, having no shoes to wear often during the cold seasons, and living for days and weeks together on roast potatoes. His courage and faithfulness were rewarded by this government, as he was receiving a pension at the time of his death. William Holliday's wife, the mother of James Holliday, was Mary Campbell, a native of Connecticut; she was the daughter of Richard Campbell, of the old straight jacket Presbyterian stock. When she was a child her parents removed to Virginia. She was the mother of four children, three boys and one girl. William Holliday's first wife was a Miss Harvey, and three daughters were born by this marriage, all of whom lived to maturity. Judge James Holliday, tile subject of this notice, was the oldest child of the second marriage. His brother, Richard C., was a prominent attorney of Moundsville, West Virginia, and his other brother, William, was a merchant residing in the State of Illinois. James Holliday was reared in Ohio County, West Virginia, until he was twelve years of age; his father then removed to Marshall County, West Virginia, settling on a farm near Moundsville. Here James attended school, and afterward taught for two terms; he also engaged in teaching after he came to the State of Iowa. In 1861 he was appointed postmaster under Lincoln's administration, at Moundsville, West Virginia; he held this office until the close of the war, when he resigned and entered into other business; he had bought some coal land in Belmont County, Ohio, which he afterward opened, and sold at a considerable profit. In the month of July, 1866, he re moved to Henry County, Iowa, settling on a farm nine miles northeast of Mount Pleasant; here he remained two years, and then sold the place, removing to Polk County, and settling on Mud Creek, ten miles east of Des Moines; here his wife died; her maiden name was Mary Jane Whittingharn, and she was married in 1841, and left at her death five children George W., James (deceased), Amanda, wife of John A. Jones; Mary E., the wife of George Smith; Estelle, wife of Charles Smith. Mr. Holliday married his present wife, Sarah Andrews, in 18; she was born in Oxford County, Maine, and is a daughter of Isaac and Sally (Kimball) Andrews. In 1868 he moved to Guthrie County, and after a residence of four years, he moved to Audubon County, and settled on a farm two miles south of Exira; here he remained ten years, and at the end of this time he was elected justice of the peace, filling this office six years. He was then appointed coroner, and served two years. He owns a large two story residence in West Exira, and ninety acres of land, which he rents. In political matters Mr. Holliday votes the Republican ticket; but often when running for office, he receives as many Democratic votes as Republican votes. Mrs. Holliday's first husband was Samuel Ayer; her parents are both deceased. Mr. Holliday owns eight lots in Douglas, Wyoming Territory, which is valuable property, as Douglas is the county seat of Con verse County.

1889 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
SHELBY AND AUDUBON COUNTIES, IOWA
W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS
113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO

pages 756-757