| 230 cont'd | HISTORY OF ALLEN AND |
NATHANIEL. T. HOLMES.
NATHANIEL. T. HOLMES, who is numbered among the enterprising young businessmen of Savonburg, has lived for little more than three decades, yet has attained a creditable degree of prosperity in commercial circles as the reward of well directed labors. Hs[sic] was born in Paxton, Ford County, Illinois, on the 24th of October, 1868, and is the fourth in order of birth in a family of —children. He is of Swedish parentage, his father, W. S. Holmes, being born in Sweden and came to America in 1852, taking up his residence in Illinois. There he married Miss Cora Matson. The mother died after the removal of the family to Kansas, and the father and one son are now in the State of Washington. One son, L. L. Holmes, is a resident of Iowa, but the other members of the family are living in Allen County. They arrived there on the 12th of March, 1870, when the subject of this review was only one and one-half years of age, and located upon a farm where the town of Savonburg now stands, and amid the scenes of frontier life Nathaniel T. Holmes was reared. He pursued his education in the common schools of the county until he had completed the curriculum and then spent two terms as a student in the Fort Scott College, On laying aside his text books he secured a clerkship in Charles Nelson's grocery store at Savonburg, remaining in the employ of that
| WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS. | 231 |
gentleman for five years. During that time he saved his earnings, and adding this to some borrowed money he purchased a stock of goods and embarked in business on his own account, The new venture proved successful from the beginning and in ninety days he was enabled to discharge his indebtedness. The secret of his success lies in his strict attention to business, his obliging manner and his honorable dealing.
Mr. Holmes votes with the Republican party and at all times stands ready to advance its welfare along legitimate lines or contribute to the support of his friends who are seeking office. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen of Savonburg. He speaks and reads his father's native tongue, is a well informed man and a reliable and progressive citizen.
Pages 230-231, transcribed by Carolyn Ward from History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas: embellished with portraits of well known people of these counties, with biographies of our representative citizens, cuts of public buildings and a map of each county / Edited and Compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas. F. Scott. Iola Registers, Printers and Binders, Iola, Kan.: 1901; 894 p., [36] leaves of plates: ill., ports.; includes index.
