Biography
John Holladay was born 10 March 1798 in Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States to Daniel Holladay (1752-1837) and Kesiah Rebecca Terry (1773-1837) and died 31 December 1862 Spring Creek, Santaquin, Utah County, Utah, United States of unspecified causes. He married Catherine Beasley Higgins (1797-1877) 16 April 1822 in Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina.
Around 1824, John and Catherine moved to Marion County, Alabama. Here, they eventually owned a large plantation. John and Catherine also eventually had 10 children, including 6 more, born in Alabama: 4-John Daniel Holladay, b.1826; 5-Sarah Ann Holladay, b.1828; 6-Karen Happuch Holladay, b.1830; 7-David Hollis Holladay, b.1832; 8-Keziah Donnell Holladay, b.1834; 9-Thomas Wiley Middleton Holladay, b.1836; 10-Lenorah McCray Holladay, b.1839. In early 1844, two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints traveled through Marion County, Alabama. These missionaries: Benjamin Franklin Mathews and William Crosby, taught the Holladay family the Gospel.
Around that time, John, Catherine, and several of their children were baptized into the LDS faith, including: Letitia, age 20, and her husband, Allen Freeman Smithson; John Daniel, age 18; Sarah Ann, age 16; Karen, age 14; and David Hollis, age 11; and Keziah Donnell, age 10. (John and Catherine's daughter, Catherine, age 19, had already married in 1842, to Larkin Braxton Akers, and it is unknown if she was baptized.) In 1845, John and Catherine's daughter, Sarah, married Abasalom Porter Dowdle, in Alabama. In April 1846, a wagon company of Saints from the southern U.S. was organized. It was known as the Mississippi Company, and was led by LDS missionary John Brown. In the company was John and Catherine, and their six younger children: John D., 18; Karen H., 14; David H., 12; Keziah, 10; Thomas W.M., 8; and Lenora, 5. John and Catherine's married daughter, Letitia H., and her husband Allen, and their little children: John B., age 5; Sara C. age 3; James D., age 2; and Mary E., 1 month old, also came with this company. (John and Catherine's married daughter, Catherine, and husband Larkin came west much later in 1856, and moved to San Bernardino, California.)
Mississippi Saints 1846 Pioneer Company
Numbered amoung the participants in the Mississippi Saints 1846 Pioneer Company, a early Mormon pioneer wagon train that left Mississippi in 1846 to join the Mormon exodus to Utah. This group Brigham Young's vanguard company and spent the winter of 1846/47 at Fort Pueblo where the were joined by soldiers of the sick detachment of the Mormon Battalion. They reached Salt Lake City in late summer of 1847.
The Mississippi Company had the plan to travel northwest and meet up with the main group of LDS pioneers at the Platte River. After arriving there, and not knowing where the main group was, they decided to continue, hoping to meet up with them further on, not realizing that they had traveled beyond the main group. The Mississippi Company then decided to winter in Fort Pueblo, Colorado. While here, they cared for the sick detachment from the Mormon Battalion, and helped to nurse them back to health. In early Spring 1847, the group in Pueblo finally received word that the main group was nearby. They quickly organized themselves and joined up with the first group of Brigham Young's Advance Company, the Pueblo Saints arriving in the Salt Lake Valley only a few days after Brigham Young.
1st LDS Bishop in Holladay
In the Salt Lake Valley, the Holladays spent their first winter of 1847, in the Salt Lake Fort, and next spring, moved south to establish the first community outside Salt Lake: Big Cottonwood, later known as, Holladay, Utah, after John Holladay, its' first LDS Bishop. In 1849, Pres. Young assigned a group of LDS pioneers to establish a community in California. This group was led by Elders Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C. Rich. The Holladays were asked to be part of this group. In Fall 1851, the group had arrived in San Bernardino Valley. Here, they built a fort for protection, built homes, farmed, sent out 80 missionaries to surrounding areas, and baptized 81 people, including some of the first Mexican converts to the LDS Church. A logging road was built into the San Bernardino Mountains, sawmills were constructed. San Bernardino was incorporated as a city. Elder Lyman became the first mayor. Hundreds of other buildings were built.
In 1856, John and Catherine's married daughter, Catherine B. Holladay and her husband, Larkin B. Akers, came west to San Bernardino, and were reunited with the rest of the Holladays. In 1857, Utah was threatened with invasion by U.S. Troops led by Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston. The colonists were called to return to Utah. Most left within a few days, including John and Catherine. John and Catherine spent a year in Beaver, Utah, and moved to an area near Santaquin, known as Spring Creek, establishing a farm. The area had several natural springs. They built (yet another) new home, continued to raise their family, and lived out the remainder of their lives. On 1 January 1862, John died and was buried in a field not far from his home. Catherine died 19 April 1877, and was buried beside him. Their graves were left undisturbed until 1960, when they were transferred to the City Cemetery of Santaquin, Utah, by consent of their descendants.
Marriage and Family
John Holladay married Catherine Beasley Higgins on 16 April 1822, in Camden, Kershaw, South Carolina. John and Catherine had children in Camden, including: 1-Susannah Flemming Holladay, b.1823-d.1823; 2-Letitia Hollis Holladay, b.1824; 3-Catherine Beasley Holladay, b. 1824.
- Susannah Flemming Holladay (1823-1823) - (twin) died young
- Lettisha Hollis Holladay (1823-1849) - (twin) traveled west in wagon company with husband's family.
- Catherine Beasley Holladay (1824-1896) - only living family member to miss the trek west in 1846. Later traveled to San Bernardino, California with husband in 1855-57.
- John Daniel Holladay (1826-1909)
- Sarah Ann Holladay (1828-1915) - traveled west in wagon company with husband's family.
- Caron Huppuch Holladay (1830-1915)
- David Hollis Holladay (1832-1874)
- Keziah Donnell Holladay (1834-1853)
- Thomas Wiley Middleton Holladay (1836-1921)
- Lenora McCray Holladay (1839-1853)
Children
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Sarah Holladay (1780-) | |||
| Miss Holladay (1782-1855) | |||
| Daniel William Holladay (1784-1855) | 1784 Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States | 31 December 1855 Sulligent, Lamar County, Alabama, United States | Sally Britt (1784-1808) Margaret Brunson (c1785-c1822) Rhoda Manasco (1803-1838) Mary Hollis (1802-1895) |
| James Holladay (1785-1855) | |||
| Peter Alexander Holladay (1785-1855) | |||
| Baby Holladay (1787-1787) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Baby Holladay (1789-1789) | |||
| Joseph Holladay (1790-1846) | |||
| James Holladay (1792-1860) | |||
| Susannah Holladay (1794-) | |||
| Lettitia Holladay (1795-1874) | |||
| John Holladay (1798-1862) | 10 March 1798 Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States | 31 December 1862 Spring Creek, Santaquin, Utah County, Utah, United States | Catherine Beasley Higgins (1797-1877) |
| Harriet Holladay (1800-1837) | |||
| Richard Holladay (1802-1887) | |||
| Karen Holladay (1804-) | |||
| Margaret Holladay (1806-) | |||
| Mary Holladay (1806-) | |||
Residences
See Also