My Genealogy Hound

G. W. Holliday, a leading real estate agent of Golden City, has been a resident of Southwest Missouri for twenty years. He was born in Morgan County, Ill., and is the son of Hiram and Viana (McLaughlin) Holliday, natives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively. The father was an early settler of Morgan County, Ill., and was the first postmaster at Whitehall, Ill., having named that town. He was a soldier in the late war, in the Sixty-first-Illinois Volunteers; was taken prisoner, and died at Macon, Ga., August 24, 1862, while in prison. The mother still lives at Waverly, Morgan County, Ill., and is seventy-nine years of age. G. W. Holliday was reared on the farm, and received his education in the public schools of Greenfield, Ill. At the age of twenty-one years, or on August 14, 1861, he enlisted in the Union Army, Sixth Illinois Cavalry, Company C, and served three years and four months. He participated in Grierson’s raids, which consisted of sixty battles, and was also at Port Hudson. He was principally engaged in scouting and skirmishing. After the battle of Franklin he was discharged, and returned to Illinois, where he remained until 1869, when he purchased a farm in Dade County, Mo., and two years later moved to it. There he made his home until 1880, when he moved to Golden City, and commenced the real estate business, which he still continues. He chose for his companion in life Miss Mary V. Garey, a native of Macoupin County, Ill., and this union has resulted in the birth of three children: Charles Frederick, Effie and Fannie. In his political views Mr. Holliday is a Republican. He is a member of the G. A. R. He owns 800 acres of land, carries on farming and stock-raising, and has 100 head of cattle and sixteen head of horses. He is one of the prominent men of the county. Eighty acres of his land at Cross Timbers, Hickory County, is said to have good lead and silver ore in paying quantities if transportation was furnished.