Albe Holmes Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1751 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	ALBE HOLMES, superintendent of the Two Johns mine, located at Crow 
Hill, Lawrence county, comes of staunch old colonial stock, and is 
himself a native of the far-distant Pine Tree state, having been born in 
Belfast, Waldo county, Maine, on the 13th of June, 1848, and being a son 
of James and Hannah H. (Ward) Holmes, who were likewise born and reared 
in that county, both passing their entire lives in Maine, where the 
father devoted his attention to lumbering during his active business 
career. The subject secured his early educational training in the common 
schools of his native place and early began to assist his father in his 
lumbering operations. In 1869, upon attaining his legal majority, he 
came west as a youthful pioneer. He made his way to Nevada, where he was 
for a number of years employed in the great Comstock mine. In 1876 he 
came to the Black Hills, making the trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming, from 
which point he came overland in a stage coach, in company with ten other 
men, hiring a team from one of the old-time pioneers, Tim Dyer. This was 
the second stage to enter the hills, and while the party were enroute a 
band of one hundred and fifty Indians passed their camp but gave them no 
trouble. They arrived in what is now the town of Custer on the 24th of 
March, and after devoting a few weeks to quartz prospecting Mr. Holmes 
started the first express line between Gayville and Deadwood, operating 
the same about six months, when he sold out. He then resumed 
prospecting, in which line he met with varying success during the 
following years. In 1896 he located the property now worked by the 
Spearfish Mining Company, and he still retains an interest in this 
property, which is a most promising one. In 1897 he was appointed 
superintendent of the Two Johns mine, named in honor of two well-known 
individuals of national reputation, John W. Gates and John A. Drake, the 
property being situated at Crow Hill, nine miles distant from Deadwood.

	In politics Mr. Holmes gives a staunch support to the Republican 
party, and he is a member of the Business Men's Club, of Deadwood, being 
also a member of its house committee, while he also holds membership in 
the Mining Men's Association of the United States and the South Dakota 
Pioneer Society, as well as the time-honored Masonic fraternity, in 
which he has risen to the thirty-second degree of the Ancient Accepted 
Scottish Rite, while he also holds membership in the adjunct 
organization, the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic 
Shrine.

	On the 3d of April, 1886, Mr. Holmes was united in marriage to Miss 
Ellen V. Himes, who was born and reared in Pennsylvania.