Taylor County WV Archives Biographies.....Holt, James W. February 14, 1849 - 
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Connie Burkett TaylorWVusgwArch@gmail.com September 4, 2008, 4:30 pm

Author: George Richmond

Men of West Virginia
Biographical Publishing Company,
George Richmond, Pres.; C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas.
Chicago, ILL 1903

Volume I, Pages 396-397

JAMES W. HOLT, editor and proprietor of the Daily and Weekly Grafton Sentinel,
of Grafton, West Virginia, one of the prominent and active political leaders of
Taylor County, was born February 14, 1849, in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and
is a son of Alfred T. and Maria (Stone) Holt.

James W. Holt was educated in the public schools of Kingwood and the old
Kingwood Academy. He learned the printing trade at this place in the office of
the Preston County Journal, and was 21 years of age when he removed to Grafton,
having completed his three years apprenticeship in Preston County. The Grafton
Sentinel had been established about eight weeks prior to this, and he took
charge of it as editor and publisher. In less than a year the able and ambitious
young man had secured the entire plant and from that time to the present has
held a prominent place in the history of the paper. In 1875 he sold the entire
plant to C. M. Shinn, but six months later Mr. Holt re-purchased a one-half
interest, and it was jointly operated for one year, when our subject again
became the sole proprietor, purchasing Mr. Shinn's interest. In 1878. Mr. Holt
took E. G. Jeffrey into the business as a partner, which combination lasted
until 1880, when George Dunnington, of Fairmont, succeeded to the ownership and
management for one year, selling then to Mr. Jeffrey who continued as owner and
publisher until 1885. In the same year Mr. Holt and S. P. McCormick became the
sole proprietors and remained so until the death of the latter, when our subject
again gained sole control and has continued as editor and proprietor ever since. 

The Weekly Sentinel is a 12-page six-column paper, of strong Republican
principles, is well edited and replete with foreign, general and local news, and
has a large and increasing circulation. In order to keep abreast of the times
and meet the growing wants of a critical public, Mr. Holt inaugurated the Daily
Sentinel, an eight-page, six-column sheet, -- an evening paper satisfactory in
every respect to the rapidly growing city of Grafton. From the start it met with
generous favor, and is now considered one of the fixed features of the city.
Politically, Mr. Holt is a stanch Republican, and as such wields a great deal of
influence in the councils of his party. In 1881, he was appointed to a position
in the internal revenue service, which he filled three years, and under the
administration of President Harrison and also under that of President McKinley
he served as postmaster of Grafton, holding the position five years. In 1885,
Mr. Holt served one term as mayor of West Grafton. He is now holding the
position of president of the Board of Education of the city.

In May, 1873, Mr. Holt married Annie J. Jordan, daughter of John and Catherine
Jordan, of Grafton, who died in November, 1897, at the age of 45 years, leaving
these children: John A., of Horton, Kansas; Alfred A., William H., Howard, Annie
L., and Maria K. Mr. Holt is connected with various social organizations, is a
member of Mystic Lodge, No. 75, A. F. & A. M., of which he was for a number of
years secretary; and of Friendship Lodge, No. 8, Knights of Pythias, belonging
also to the Uniform Rank of that order.

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