Jacob Holmes
Jacob Holmes was born in Westmoreland County, Penn., April 2, 1814, son of Daniel Holmes, also a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio, settling in Congress Township, Wayne County, in 1820. Near Congress Village, he (Daniel) leased a farm of Henry Trauger, on which he lived nine years; then purchased a farm on Section 14, where he reared a family of sixteen children, twelve of whom are yet living. He died in his sixty-ninth year. The first Christmas eve Mr. Holmes was in Wayne County his house and its contents were destroyed by fire, the family barely escaping with their lives, and the snow was six inches deep. They were taken to the house of George Poe, a half a mile distant, remaining there one night. The following Monday the neighbors cut logs and built another cabin, and Wednesday they moved in. There was no foor, and a fire was built in the center of the room. There they lived, more like Indians than white folks, almost destitute of clothing, and for four or five years had neither shoes nor stockings. Their clothes consisted of buckskin pants, linen shirt, coonskin caps and deer-skin moccasins. The best dressed men of those days wore buckskin suits.
Jacob Holmes, the subject of these lines, was educated in the common schools, and brought up to farm life, which he has followed all his days. He was united in marriage February 5, 1837, with Miss Christiana, a daughter of David and Eva Weaver, and born April 2, 1817. This union has been blessed with eight children, seven of whom are still living, all married and away from home, doing for themselves. Mr. and Mrs. Holmes have for many years been consistent members of the German Reformed Church. For sixty-seven years he has been a continuous resident of Congress Township, and is probably the oldest resident settler in the township. Mr. Holmes is hale and hearty, and remarkably vigorous for one of his advanced years, managing his own affairs with keen intelligence and remarkable success; and "Uncle Jacob" as he is familiarly known, is highly respected by all who know him. He is owner of 123 acres of good farm land, three miles south of West Salem, in Wayne County.
From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Wayne and Holmes, Ohio, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1889