Bio: Joseph J. Holmes, Webster Par., Louisiana Source:Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville, 1890 Submitted by: Gwen Moran-Hernandez Date: April 2000 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** === ===Joseph J. Holmes is one of the prominent business men, and a representative citizen of Webster Parish. He has made a competency by his own indomitable energy, frugality and excellent business acumen. Mr. Holmes was born in Georgia, on October 29, 1849, and his father, William D. Holmes, was also a native of Georgia. The latter was married in that State, to Miss Martha J. Culpepper, a native also of Georgia, and they afterward moved to Alabama. Two year later, or in 1863, they moved to Louisiana, locating in Minden. He soon after entered the army and was superintendent of transportation for the Trans-Mississippi Department. After cessation of hostilities he returned to Minden and continued business there until his death in May, 1884. His wife died in 1869. J. J. Holmes came to this State and parish, with his parents in 1863, received a thorough education at Minden Male College, and in 1868 he engaged in merchandising in Minden, continuing at this for about eight years. After this (1877) he built a Tyler Morse Compress, the first of the kind in Shreveport, and embarked in the cotton business there for two years. In 1884 he returned to Minden, where he has been engaged in the cotton and mercantile brokerage and insurance business. He has been a very active business man all his life, and has been very successful in all his transactions. Commencing with no means, he has been unusually successful, and is to-day one of the representatives and substantial men of the parish. Mr. Holmes was one of the first to take stock in the Minden Railroad, of which he is secretary and one of the board of directors. He is also secretary of the Minden branch of the Southern Building and Loan Association of Atlanta, Ga., and stockholder in the Bank of Minden, and was elected mayor of Minden in May, 1890. Mr. Holmes has been three times married, his first wife, Miss Mary E. Morgan, he wedded in Red River Parish, La., on December 25, 1875, and she died the following June. Mr. Holmes' second marriage occurred in Minden, to Miss Mary J. Sugden, a native of New Orleans, who was reared and educated there. She was a grandniece of Sir Edward Sugden, ex-prime minister of England. This most estimable lady died in Shreveport, La., on July 15, 1884, and Mr. Holmes married again in Minden on October 15, 1890, to Miss Nettie Miller, daughter of James M. Miller, whose sketch appears in this history. Mrs. Holmes is a native of Webster Par., Louisianaand was educated in Minden Female College. He is quite literary in his tastes, and has written a number of Poems of local merit. His is a member of the Episcopal Church.