Erastus "Doc" Holden was born in Brunswick, Maine in 1812 and was the son of Nehemiah Holden and Abigail Bassett. Shortly after a relocation to Boston, Massachusetts, he enrolled in The College Of Pharmacy, where he eventually graduated and went to work in his cousin, Nathaniel Holden's, drug store, as an apprentice. While in Massachusetts, he met and married his first wife, Jane Eliza Dana(b.1807-d.1852), in 1833. This union produced three children, Erastus, Abigail(d.1841), & Isaac(b.1833-d.1902) Holden.
He left Boston in 1849, headed for San Francisco, where in 1850, he, with business partner, John Redington, opened California's first wholesale drug store, with branches of it in both Stockton and Sonora. While in San Francisco, he a made a decision to purchase both the Stockton and Sonora branches and became their sole owner. He relocated to the Stockton area, where in 1852, he built Stockton's first, two-story, brick building, which was to be used as the new drug store.
He married his second wife, Mary Maria Lyon(b.1832-d.1902), in 1856, and the couple went on to have three children together, Wilson(b.1858), Erastus(b.1860), & Warren(b.1865) Holden. It appears that Holden had two sons named Erastus. Much later, in 1879, he would lose interest in his occupation as a Stockton druggist, and sold his business to his son, Isaac. He eventually took an interest in politics and became the Mayor of Stockton from 1859 to 1863, a position he would hold once again, in 1871; he was elected four times in all.
He was one of the founders of the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Society and president of this organization from 1860 to 1866. Holden was also president of the board of directors of the State Insane Asylum from 1866 to 1869. In 1873, he became involved in railroading, and became the president of the Stockton - Ione Railroad Company.
He left Boston in 1849, headed for San Francisco, where in 1850, he, with business partner, John Redington, opened California's first wholesale drug store, with branches of it in both Stockton and Sonora. While in San Francisco, he a made a decision to purchase both the Stockton and Sonora branches and became their sole owner. He relocated to the Stockton area, where in 1852, he built Stockton's first, two-story, brick building, which was to be used as the new drug store.
He married his second wife, Mary Maria Lyon(b.1832-d.1902), in 1856, and the couple went on to have three children together, Wilson(b.1858), Erastus(b.1860), & Warren(b.1865) Holden. It appears that Holden had two sons named Erastus. Much later, in 1879, he would lose interest in his occupation as a Stockton druggist, and sold his business to his son, Isaac. He eventually took an interest in politics and became the Mayor of Stockton from 1859 to 1863, a position he would hold once again, in 1871; he was elected four times in all.
He was one of the founders of the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Society and president of this organization from 1860 to 1866. Holden was also president of the board of directors of the State Insane Asylum from 1866 to 1869. In 1873, he became involved in railroading, and became the president of the Stockton - Ione Railroad Company.
Erastus "Doc" Holden was born in Brunswick, Maine in 1812 and was the son of Nehemiah Holden and Abigail Bassett. Shortly after a relocation to Boston, Massachusetts, he enrolled in The College Of Pharmacy, where he eventually graduated and went to work in his cousin, Nathaniel Holden's, drug store, as an apprentice. While in Massachusetts, he met and married his first wife, Jane Eliza Dana(b.1807-d.1852), in 1833. This union produced three children, Erastus, Abigail(d.1841), & Isaac(b.1833-d.1902) Holden.
He left Boston in 1849, headed for San Francisco, where in 1850, he, with business partner, John Redington, opened California's first wholesale drug store, with branches of it in both Stockton and Sonora. While in San Francisco, he a made a decision to purchase both the Stockton and Sonora branches and became their sole owner. He relocated to the Stockton area, where in 1852, he built Stockton's first, two-story, brick building, which was to be used as the new drug store.
He married his second wife, Mary Maria Lyon(b.1832-d.1902), in 1856, and the couple went on to have three children together, Wilson(b.1858), Erastus(b.1860), & Warren(b.1865) Holden. It appears that Holden had two sons named Erastus. Much later, in 1879, he would lose interest in his occupation as a Stockton druggist, and sold his business to his son, Isaac. He eventually took an interest in politics and became the Mayor of Stockton from 1859 to 1863, a position he would hold once again, in 1871; he was elected four times in all.
He was one of the founders of the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Society and president of this organization from 1860 to 1866. Holden was also president of the board of directors of the State Insane Asylum from 1866 to 1869. In 1873, he became involved in railroading, and became the president of the Stockton - Ione Railroad Company.
He left Boston in 1849, headed for San Francisco, where in 1850, he, with business partner, John Redington, opened California's first wholesale drug store, with branches of it in both Stockton and Sonora. While in San Francisco, he a made a decision to purchase both the Stockton and Sonora branches and became their sole owner. He relocated to the Stockton area, where in 1852, he built Stockton's first, two-story, brick building, which was to be used as the new drug store.
He married his second wife, Mary Maria Lyon(b.1832-d.1902), in 1856, and the couple went on to have three children together, Wilson(b.1858), Erastus(b.1860), & Warren(b.1865) Holden. It appears that Holden had two sons named Erastus. Much later, in 1879, he would lose interest in his occupation as a Stockton druggist, and sold his business to his son, Isaac. He eventually took an interest in politics and became the Mayor of Stockton from 1859 to 1863, a position he would hold once again, in 1871; he was elected four times in all.
He was one of the founders of the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Society and president of this organization from 1860 to 1866. Holden was also president of the board of directors of the State Insane Asylum from 1866 to 1869. In 1873, he became involved in railroading, and became the president of the Stockton - Ione Railroad Company.
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