Joseph S. Holt

JOSEPH S. HOLT. Among the early settlers of Cherokee County, few are better known than the gentleman who bears the above name, who lives on his farm of 240 acres, situated in Sheridan and Lola townships. He was born in Alamance County, North Carolina, May 6, 1834, and is a son of David and Nancy (Green) Holt, both natives of the same place.

David Holt, besides managing a farm, was a wagon-maker and blacksmith. In politics he was an old-line Whig and later a Republican. He was an attendant of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The family consisted of four children, of whom William, Michael and John are deceased. Joseph S. is the only living child. The father was twice married, the first wife being Sally Caps, of North Carolina. The children of this union were;—Robert, Henry and Nicholas.

Joseph S. Holt was educated in the three months schools of his native county, and lived at home until grown to manhood. He enlisted at Indianapolis, Indiana, in October, 1864, in Company H, 1st Indiana Heavy Artillery. The company was sent to the southern department of the army, where the subject was wounded by a shell at Mobile, Alabama, which disabled him and he was taken to the hospital at New Orleans and later to Philadelphia. For some time after his discharge in 1865, he was unable to do anything.

In 1858 Mr. Holt married Catherine Isle, a native of Alamance County, North Carolina. Their children are,—Millie Ellen, wife of Riley Pickering, of Sheridan township; David H., a farmer living on the home farm, who married Stella Boyd; Orvilla, now Mrs. Arthur Westervelt, of Sheridan township.

At the close of the war our subject returned to his old home, afterward spending one year in Hamilton County, Indiana, and then two years in Emporia, Kansas. In April, 1865, he moved to Cherokee County, locating in Sheridan township. His first purchase of land comprised 40 acres of land in section 30, township 32, range 22, where he put up a small box house, and started to make for himself a home. By close application to business, hard work and good management, he has added to his first acquisition until his present holdings number some 240 acres of good farm land, most of which is under cultivation. The land produces the usual grains such as wheat, corn and oats, and quantities of hay. Besides general farming, horses, mules, cattle and hogs are also raised.

Mr. Holt has always been a farmer, and is interested in anything pertaining to the farm or farm work. In politics he votes the Republican ticket, socially is a member of the G. A. R. post at Hallowell and religiously belongs to the Friends' Church, of which organization both he and his wife have been active workers for many years. For 14 years Mr. Holt has been a member of the School Board, and has always worked for the best interests of education at all times. The long residence of the family in the county has given them an extensive acquaintance, and they have the universal confidence and esteem of all who know them.

History of Cherokee County Kansas and its representative citizens, ed. & comp. by Nathaniel Thompson Allison, 1904, transcribed by Lacey Myers, student from USD 508, Baxter Springs Middle School, Baxter Springs, Kansas, 02/25/97.