Transcription contributed by Arne H Trelvik 27 Jun 2005

Page
858

REEVE HOLLAND, retired carpenter and builder, Waynesville, was born in New Jersey, Jan. 24, 1808; is a son of James and Hannah (Reeves) Holland, natives of New Jersey. The grandparents were John and Jane Holland, natives of New Jersey, the ancestors being of Scotch-Irish descent. James and family emigrated to Ohio, and located near Waynesville in 1817, being among the early settlers of this county.. He was a weaver by trade, and soon after he came here located in Waynesville, where he followed his trade the most of his life; he died in Waynesville about 1857, aged 85 years; his wife died about 1861, aged 85 years. They had ten children, six now survive - Reeve, Franklin Wesley, Maria (now Mrs. Parker, residing at Camp Dennison), Ruth Ann (now Mrs. Bodine, residing at Madisonville), and Emiline (now Mrs. Leatcham, residing in Iowa). The subject of this sketch was but 9 years of age when their family came to this new county, and here he was raised and grow to manhood, fully accustomed to all the rough scenes of those early days; was married, Jan. 21, 1835, to Sarah, daughter of Abraham and Ellen Bowman, natives or Virginia, but who emigrated to Kentucky, where they resided till 1817, when they removed to Warren County and located near Waynesville, where they lived and died; they had eleven children; five now survive - John, living in Indiana; Didema, now Widow Carr, living in Iowa; Sarah, and Mary Ann, now Mrs. Retallick. Mr. Holland and wife have had four children, all deceased; the youngest Joel Marshall, grew to manhood and gave promise of becoming a prominent man. During the administration of President Lincoln, he was appointed United States Mail Agent, on the C. C. R. R., which office he filled about one year; thence assumed the duties of the Distributing Department in the Post Office at Cincinnati, where, after a few months' service was prostrated with sickness and returned home, where be died, Sept. 26, 1862, aged about 24 years, his young, promising life being thus early cut off. Mr. Holland when sixteen years of age learned the carpenter trade, and became one of the best and most prominent builders of that day; erecting a large number of the buildings in Waynesville and vicinity. In 1863, Mr. Holland retired from all active business, having acquired a good competency. He has resided on the property where he now lives for forty-five years; has erected a good substantial frame house, and has everything comfortable and convenient around him; where he and his companion have lived for almost half a century, and can now enjoy the fruits of their labors under their "own vine and fig-tree."