Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-04
PIONEER OF COUNTY, AND EARLY
BUSINESS MAN, DIES
IN CALIFORNIA
PASSES AWAY SUNDAY NIGHT
WHILE SITTING IN CHAIR
Was First Vinegar Manufacturer of
This City, and Early Dry Goods
Merchant Father First Emisrant
Frow Columbiana County, Ohio,
to Settle at Marietta.

pioneers of the county Sunday night
when Joseph Holmes, postmaster at
Marietta during civil war times, and
early manufacturer of this city, died
suddenly at his home. Zoo Estrelia
avenue, Los Angeles, MIR. Holmer died
while sitting in his chair. He would
| have been SO years old had he lived
unail April 8.
Mr.. Holmes was years old when, in
the fall of 1859, his father, Lot Holmes,
completed long journey overland from
Columbiana county, Ohio. by arriving
at Marietta, the county seat of this
county. The arrival of the Holmes
family became significant in later years
from the fact thatLot Holmes was the
| frs of great many Columbiana coun-
! ty Quaker emigrants to settle in this
county. In the years to follow this
county became the Mecca for a great
many Columbiana county people, whose
descendants have populated not only
| this, but great many other counties
Native of Ohio County.
Joseph Holmes was native Of the
Ohio county from whence the family
came, having been born April 9. 1886, a
son of Lot and Sarah Nichols Holmes.
| The family reached Marietta Nov. Is.
IS, 1858. Young Holmes had received
his education, considered good for that
day, in the district school he attended
| in Ohio and in Marlborough Seminary.
He had lived the life of the farmer boy
of his period, but upon coming to Mari
eta began the foundation<of a COM
mercial career He became clerk in
a general store, and within a few years
entered business for himself He be-
came postmaster of Marietta during
the administration Of Abraham Lin
coin, and continued in business until
1864, when he disposed of his business
and came to Marshalltown, which had
wrested the county seat from Marietta
four years before and then was a town
of much more promise.
Establishes Manufacturing Business.
Upon coming to Marshalltown Mr..
Holmes engag ed in the dry goods bust
ness, only to leave this line for the
commission business, in butter, eggs,
and poultry
In 1869 the first vinegar manufactur-
ing business to be established in Mar
Shalltown was started by Mr.. Holmes
at Is West Main street. 1t was a one
tub plant, but the business grew and
was moved to a building on Baptist
hill" and then to South First avenue,
at the corner of Boone street, in a
building which stood where the Blake
& Weaver automobile repair shop now
is located. The business. then con-
Quoted under the name of the Mar
shall Vinegar and Pickle Works, was
moved to the South First avenue loca-
ton Oct. 3. 1889, and fourished for
several years.
In 1892 Mr.. Holmes became interest
ed in the soap business in connection
with his vinegar and pickle trade, and
helped establish the Benedict Soap
Works. This later became the Mar
shalltown Soap Company. with Mr..
Holmes as president and treasurer, w.
NJ Clark secretary. and George Fl.
Burr, manager. The company's leading
brand was the 1.-The Ocean Spray"
Deeply Interested in Temperance.
During all his life Mr. Holmes had
been deeply interested in the temper
ance movement. and was very active in
third party prohibition politics. Twen-
ty-six years ago he and others estab-
lished the Marshall Institute for the
SuiC III 'i't oi'lulil, dIlu lODdCCO
habits. This was the time when the
gold cure" had become widely known
thru its cure of many drunkards of the
liquor habit. The concern did good
work, as can be testified by men who
| still are residents of this city, and who
took the cure" in the local institute
and never since have used liquor as a
| beverage.
Widow Survives Husband:
Mr.. Holmes wife was Mary r. Ar
| mold, who survives her husband. Mr.
and Mrs. Holmes were married July
| 80, 1862. They had two children, but
both have been dead many years, the
daughter Hattie, dying at the age Of II
| months Aug 10, 1864, and a son, An
drew, at the age of 10. The old home
of the Holmses was at 304 South First
avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Holmes moved
to Los Angeles about twelve years ago.
Mrs. Holmes was a sister of the late
Delos Arnold, the first prosecuting at
torney Of this county teacher of the
first school in this county. member Of
the legislature in 1857 and CT the SEN
ate in 1875, who died at Pasadena
. Aug. 81. 1909.
/ In addition to his widow Mr. Holmes
is survived by one sister, Mrs. Mary
, Whealen. of Los Angeles. widow of DR..
/ George Whealen. formerly of this coun-
! ty. Mrs. D. J. Allen. another sister,
died in 1893. A foster sister is Mrs.
Ludia Roberts, widow of DR.. Watson
Roberts, formerly of this city but now
of Portland. Ore.
| Body to Be Cremated.
Funeral services for Mr.. Holmes will
be held from his home Wednesday aft
ternoon at o'clock. The body will be
cremated, but there was nothing to in
dictate in the telegram to the T.-R. from
it's Los Angeles correspondent whether
or not the ashes would be sent here
for burial.
Local Weather Record.
The range of temperature Sunday