Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
JOHN HOLDEN, who is now one of the prosperous and intelligent farmers of Chelan county, was born in Brown county, Ohio, on March 31, 1848, the son of Richard and Catherine (Fritz) Holden, natives of England and Ohio, respectively. The father died in 1876 and the mother in 1853. Our subject grew up in the Buckeye state and there received a common school education from the schools near his home. In 1871 he thirsted to try the world for himself and accordingly started out. He soon landed in Sacramento and after six months there went to the mines in Nevada county. He continued to labor there until 1876, when he journeyed to Walla Walla, Washington. He farmed in that county for seven years, then removed to Ritzville, where he continued in the same occupation for ten years. It was 1894 that Mr. Holden came to Leavenworth and since then he has been one of the substantial residents of this region. He is engaged in the draying business.
For twenty-one years, Mr. Holden has been school director and he has done very much for the advancement of educational facilities. He has been constable for several terms and is at present deputy sheriff of Chelan county.
While in Walla Walla county, Washington, in 1884, Mr. Holden married Miss Carrie E. Farnsworth and to them were born three children, Ira Oliver, Mary Mable, and Sara Etta. Mrs. Holden died July 1, 1894, aged thirty-nine years, five months and twenty-seven days. Mr. Holden has the following brothers and sisters, Robert J., who was killed in Murfreesboro while in the army; Richard, who served three years in the army; Thomas; George; Henry; Bazil; James, who served ten years in the regular army and died in the Philippines; Sara, wife of John Dederick, of Madisonville, Ohio; Catherine, single; Ellen, wife of Mr. McDonald, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Holden is a member of the Foresters and the Good Templars and in political alliances pulls with the Republicans. He and his wife are faithful members of the Christian church.
