Pike County GaArchives Biographies.....Hollon, Charles Pinkney February 1860 - 1942
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Valerie [ Johnson ] Freeman http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00009.html#0002248 January 30, 2011, 2:14 am

Source: A History of Texas and Texans, Vol V," pub. by The American Historical Society, Chicago and New York, 1914
Author: Frank W. Johnson


pg. 2339

Charles Pinkney Hollon, of Klondike, Texas, holds distinction as the leading 
business man and merchant of the town and is a prominent representative of a 
family which came to Delta county, in 1871, from Hollonsville (sic), Pike 
county, Georgia.

It was in the vicinity of Hollonsville, Georgia, in 1860, that Mr. Hollon was 
born, son of William R. Hollon.  The latter's birth occurred there on the 
Hollonsville plantation in 1833.  His father, Randolph Hollon, was born in 
North Carolina, in 1800; in that State grew into unlettered manhood and then 
went to Georgia to make his mark.  He became a planter and dealt in slaves, and 
was worth about a hundred thousand dollars before the war.  He established a 
store on his farm, which took the name of Hollonsville and which became the 
center of a busy commercial community before he passed away in 1863.  Being a 
slave dealer and owner and a man of Southern birth, his attitude was that of an 
uncompromising rebel, and he took pride in sending his sons out to fight for 
the principles in which he believed.  Five of his sons took up arms in defense 
of the Confederate Government.  He belonged to no church or society, and his 
life seems to have been absorbed in the pleasure of money-making.  While he 
never learned to write even his name, yet his judgment was unerring and he 
matched wits with knowledge to his own advantage every day of his life.  His 
mother was before her marriage Miss Hannah Bond.  Her children were Mary, wife 
of John Stewart, of Georgia; Randolph, the grandfather of the subject of this 
sketch, and William, who died in Palo Pinto county, Texas.  Randolph Hollon 
married Caroline Sturdivant, an orphan, who died in 1885.  Their children were 
Theressa, who died unmarried; Hannah, whose death occurred in Delta county, 
Texas, was the wife of Alexander Irvin; Margaret; William R., father of Charles 
Pinkney; Thomas J., who died in Delta county, Texas; George W., who died at 
Waco, Texas; Columbus, who died in Georgia; Daniel Pinkney, of Klondike, Texas; 
Charles E., who died in Georgia, and Caroline, who married Jose D. Roddy and 
resides in Georgia.  William R. Hollon, although he grew up on his rich 
father's plantation, with slaves around to do his bidding, yet he acquired 
little education that would give him admittance to the circle of educated men.  
Nevertheless he possessed an indescribable something which attracted friends to 
him and his cause and he proved himself a useful citizen throughout his life.  
He enlisted in the Fifty-third Georgia Infantry, and the severe wound he 
received at the battle of Antietam, or Sharpsburg, rendered him unfit for 
further military duty and he returned to Hollonsville and took charge of his 
father's affairs.  His removal journey from Georgia to Texas was made in 
company with relatives, and he settled on the Delta county line, where the 
hamlet of Gough subsequently sprang up.  Here he aided in building a gin, and 
he carried on his favorite vocation of farming until 1884, when he moved to 
Waco.  A few years later he made another move, this time to a farm on the 
Brazos river, above the city.  He spent the close of his life and passed away 
in Palo Pinto county, at Mineral Wells, Texas.  He was an active man in the 
affairs of his community, and was called upon to render public service wherever 
he lived in Texas.  He served Delta county as one of its commissioners, and is 
believed to have been nominated by the people for representative to the 
legislature, but was maneuvered out of it in a convention of Democrats.  Also 
he was elected and served as county commissioner from the Waco precinct of 
McLennan county.  His wife, Geraldine (Anderson) Hollon, died in 1864, leaving 
him the following named children: William B., who died in Delta county, Texas, 
and left a family; Henry R., a barber of Waco, Texas; Geraldine, wife of J. C. 
Bailey, of Gough, Texas, and Charles Pinkney, of Klondike.  By his second wife, 
Elizabeth (Threlkeld) Hollon, his children are: John, Laura, wife of Fayette 
Cisco, of Waco; Neely, widow of Charles Catonhead; Ide, wife of a Mr. Cox of 
Waco; Robert, George, Thomas, Fannie, Elsie and Samuel, all residents of Waco.

Charles Pinkney Hollon was reared on his father's farm and received his 
education in the rural schools in the vicinity of Gough.  He was actively 
engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1889, when he turned his attention to 
merchandising at Gough, his being the first store started at that point.  He 
began with a small stock of groceries, worth in the neighborhood of three 
hundred dollars, and in this venture he prospered.  He gained favorable 
acquaintance and accumulated some capital, and in 1903, wishing to enlarge his 
business operations, moved to Klondike, the nearest station on the railroad.  
Here he built a frame store room and opened out in business on a larger scale.  
In 1911 fire destroyed the building and greater part of his stock.  At once he 
rebuilt a double store, a brick structure, and he now carries a stock of 
general merchandise which invoices at $18,000.  He inherits in a measure the 
instinct for money-making with which his grandfather was endowed, and his 
financial advance has been equal to the opportunities offered here.  He owns 
considerable farming land in his locality, which, under his supervision, is 
being cultivated, and also he had taken a hand in banking.  He was a prime 
mover in the organization of the First State Bank of Klondike, of which he was 
president until January 1, 1912, since which time he has been vice president 
and a director.

Mr. Holland is identified with the dominant political party of the locality and 
has been honored with official preferment.  For five successive years he served 
as county commissioner, and it was during his tenure of office that the county 
jail was built.

On Christmas 1883, at Shiloh church, Mr. Hollon and Miss Kittie Henderson were 
united in marriage, and the fruits of their union are three daughters: Claudie, 
wife of A. A. Moxley, of Klondike, and to whom were born two children, Allen 
and Erma Jean; Miss Beulah, at home, and Jessie, wife of C. B. Allard, also of 
Klondike, and to this union was born Hollon Bradley.  Mrs. Hollon is a daughter 
of John Henderson who came to Texas some years ago from Kentucky.

Personally, Mr. Hollon is physically a large man, and he is distinguished for 
his broad views and good-natured disposition. His religious belief is that of 
the Christian Church, of which he is a member, and, fraternally, he is 
identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.


Additional Comments:

As with all biographies like this, there are some errors.  Randolph Hollon was 
born in SC, not NC, per the 1850-1860 Census of Pike Co., Georgia.  Also, 
Caroline (Sturdivant) Hollon died July 5, 1883 per cemetery records.  
William Randolph Hollon was born November 2, 1834.  I am sure there are more.


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