Son of Quakers Samuel Holaday and Dolly Meacham. George's mother's maiden name (George's middle name) was actually "MeAcham."
The children of George Meacham Holaday and Lydia Hollingsworth not on Find A Grave were Thomas Jefferson 1854–1855 and Orpha 1856–before 1860. Another child with another woman, Arizona Holaday, is death and burial unknown.
Siblings:
Jane Holaday 1821–1880 m (1) John Hollingsworth. (2) William Tingle
Sarah Holaday 1822–1866
George had a very full life.
George started life as a Quaker, but did not remain in the faith as his activities were not conducive to such. He and man of his wife's family moved from Vermilion Co, IL to Iowa circa 1840. They later moved farther west, to Adair Co, where George was the first judge. George was also a Justice of the Peace in Des Moines. The family eventually settled in Winterset, IA.
George headed west for the gold rush in California in 1850. After a great many antics and a time in jail, he returned to Iowa. At some point in the 1850's George became involved with another woman while married to Lydia. It is not known who this woman was but family folklore says she was the "hired girl." Her name was Alvira or perhaps Elvira. Alvira/Elvira gave birth to their son George Washington Holaday on March 2, 1859 in Iowa. Lydia gave birth to the couple's last child, a son, on April 10, 1860.
Sometime in 1860, George left for a mining expedition to Pikes Peak, CO. Alvira/Elvira and son must have gone with him as he never again returned to Iowa.
They made their way to La Paz, AZ, now a ghost-town. The 1864 census shows George with "wife" Alvira/Elvira, son George W. and a new daughter, Arizona Holaday, 3 months old.
Alvira/Elvira died in La Paz, AZ in 1864. His little girl Arizona likely died there also. There are no further records for her. He became a member of the First Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1864. He operated saloons on Old Whiskey Row in Prescott, AZ for a time.
He moved on to Sonoma Co, CA, where he married Mary Robinson Finley. He and Mary raised his son George W. as well as Mary's children from her prior marriage. He lived the rest of his life in California. He finally settled in Kern Co. He fell ill in 1895 and he and his wife Mary went to his son Miles' home in Tulare, CA, where he died soon after.
This is the very short version of his story.
Note: George never divorced his first wife Lydia, so was in fact, a bigamist.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Newspaper Write Up from: Tulare Daily Register, Friday, Sept. 6, 1895, Page 3:
George M. Holaday, whose sickness has been mentioned in these columns, died last night. He was a pioneer who found contentment in advance of civilization. He resided in Iowa a the time when government land was a drug, and once held title to 2400 acres of Hawkeye soil which made him a plutocrat at that time. But he enjoyed trading and moving more than waiting for development and advance of prices, so no fortune was gained from landholdings which have since become valuable. He came to California in the gold stampede of 1850 and spent some months in the placer mines. He then returned to Iowa, to be caught later in the rush to Pike's Peak. After tiring of Colorado mining he drifted from point to point of the wild west, dropping down in Arizona in time to be seated a member of Arizona's first territorial legislature. He removed to southern California, serving as justice of the peace for a number of years at Santa Ana. Two years ago he settled on a colony tract near Bakersfield, which place was his home at the time of his death. A month or six weeks ago, not being well, he drove with his wife over to San Luis Obispo to camp and take baths. Here he took cold which resulted in a combination of pneumonia and typhoid fever. They reached Tulare last Sunday night, the old gentleman's desire being to see his son, who resides here. He was given the best of care and medical attention, but the case was believed to be hopeless rom the start.
Deceased had a wide acquaintance in California, having spent many years in various counties. He was 77 years old.
~~~~~~~~~~~
MISC ~~~
Dorothy "Dolly" Meacham's parents were: George Meacham 50913371 and Mary Durham 50913397. Mary Durham's father Matthew was a Revolutionary War patriot.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Son of Quakers Samuel Holaday and Dolly Meacham. George's mother's maiden name (George's middle name) was actually "MeAcham."
The children of George Meacham Holaday and Lydia Hollingsworth not on Find A Grave were Thomas Jefferson 1854–1855 and Orpha 1856–before 1860. Another child with another woman, Arizona Holaday, is death and burial unknown.
Siblings:
Jane Holaday 1821–1880 m (1) John Hollingsworth. (2) William Tingle
Sarah Holaday 1822–1866
George had a very full life.
George started life as a Quaker, but did not remain in the faith as his activities were not conducive to such. He and man of his wife's family moved from Vermilion Co, IL to Iowa circa 1840. They later moved farther west, to Adair Co, where George was the first judge. George was also a Justice of the Peace in Des Moines. The family eventually settled in Winterset, IA.
George headed west for the gold rush in California in 1850. After a great many antics and a time in jail, he returned to Iowa. At some point in the 1850's George became involved with another woman while married to Lydia. It is not known who this woman was but family folklore says she was the "hired girl." Her name was Alvira or perhaps Elvira. Alvira/Elvira gave birth to their son George Washington Holaday on March 2, 1859 in Iowa. Lydia gave birth to the couple's last child, a son, on April 10, 1860.
Sometime in 1860, George left for a mining expedition to Pikes Peak, CO. Alvira/Elvira and son must have gone with him as he never again returned to Iowa.
They made their way to La Paz, AZ, now a ghost-town. The 1864 census shows George with "wife" Alvira/Elvira, son George W. and a new daughter, Arizona Holaday, 3 months old.
Alvira/Elvira died in La Paz, AZ in 1864. His little girl Arizona likely died there also. There are no further records for her. He became a member of the First Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1864. He operated saloons on Old Whiskey Row in Prescott, AZ for a time.
He moved on to Sonoma Co, CA, where he married Mary Robinson Finley. He and Mary raised his son George W. as well as Mary's children from her prior marriage. He lived the rest of his life in California. He finally settled in Kern Co. He fell ill in 1895 and he and his wife Mary went to his son Miles' home in Tulare, CA, where he died soon after.
This is the very short version of his story.
Note: George never divorced his first wife Lydia, so was in fact, a bigamist.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Newspaper Write Up from: Tulare Daily Register, Friday, Sept. 6, 1895, Page 3:
George M. Holaday, whose sickness has been mentioned in these columns, died last night. He was a pioneer who found contentment in advance of civilization. He resided in Iowa a the time when government land was a drug, and once held title to 2400 acres of Hawkeye soil which made him a plutocrat at that time. But he enjoyed trading and moving more than waiting for development and advance of prices, so no fortune was gained from landholdings which have since become valuable. He came to California in the gold stampede of 1850 and spent some months in the placer mines. He then returned to Iowa, to be caught later in the rush to Pike's Peak. After tiring of Colorado mining he drifted from point to point of the wild west, dropping down in Arizona in time to be seated a member of Arizona's first territorial legislature. He removed to southern California, serving as justice of the peace for a number of years at Santa Ana. Two years ago he settled on a colony tract near Bakersfield, which place was his home at the time of his death. A month or six weeks ago, not being well, he drove with his wife over to San Luis Obispo to camp and take baths. Here he took cold which resulted in a combination of pneumonia and typhoid fever. They reached Tulare last Sunday night, the old gentleman's desire being to see his son, who resides here. He was given the best of care and medical attention, but the case was believed to be hopeless rom the start.
Deceased had a wide acquaintance in California, having spent many years in various counties. He was 77 years old.
~~~~~~~~~~~
MISC ~~~
Dorothy "Dolly" Meacham's parents were: George Meacham 50913371 and Mary Durham 50913397. Mary Durham's father Matthew was a Revolutionary War patriot.
~~~~~~~~~~~
