Born in Newbern, Virginia. Wife was Mariah Maxwell. Moved with family to Orange Co. Indiana. Then moved to near North Henderson Illinois. Came to Linn Co., Kansas near Prescott, Kansas in 1865 along with his oldest married son William Harrison Holmes and his 3 children Ella, Amos, Addie (Ella burned to death Nov. 8, 1867. She was first to be buried in the William H. Holmes Cemetery located on the 160 acre Homestead Farm of William Harrison Holmes located 1 mile east and 1½ miles north of Prescott, Kansas. Amos and Addie were the other 2 children who made the trip from Galesburg, Illinois by covered wagon. William Harrison Holmes and wife Rosamond (Smith) Holmes 3 more sons born to them at Prescott, Kansas William Edward Holmes, John Grant Homes and Oliver Holmes who died in 1872 at about 1 ½ years old. William Edward Holmes was born Nov. 8, 1865 just after coming to Kansas. John Grant Holmes was born Feb. 19, 1868. John Black Holmes and wife Mariah (Maxwell) Holmes along with their other 9 children and a young neighbor man Clark B. Brittingham who filed for a 160-acre homestead after married to John Black Holmes, oldest daughter Sabrina Holmes. Clark Brittingham’s 160-acre homestead just across the road to the east of the 160-acre homestead of William H. Holmes. They both came by the two covered wagons. They were on the road to Kansas on the 12th of April when they received the news that President Abraham Lincoln had been shot to death. News didn’t travel much faster than they did by covered wagons. John Black Holmes and family filed for a 160 acre Homestead about 7 ½ miles north east of Prescott, Kansas, Linn Co. Later Walnut Valley school district was organized. John Black Holmes died in 1874. Mariah sold the land to a grandson George Holmes. He sold it to his brother John Grant Holmes in 1913. John Grant Holmes sold it to his son William Homes in 1937. H. Mack and wife Cleda (Cross) with the land Joint ownership to their son Archie Grant Homes and sister Mildred (Holmes) Courtois. They own it as of Feb. 15th 1991.
By Vernon E. Holmes
Son of John Grant Homes