An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. 1893

M.M. HOLMES, one of the representative business men of Seattle, was born in
Dunbarton, New Hampshire, April 10, 1844, upon the old homestead which was
established by his ancestors in 1720, and upon which his lather, Charles Holmes,
was also born and reared and there passed his life in agricultural pursuits. The
mother of our subject, Louisa (Pope) Holmes, was a native of Salem,
Massachusetts, where her ancestors settled at a very early day. The subject of
this review is also a lineal descendant of Rev. John Cotton, who emigrated from
England to Boston in 1633. M.M. Holmes was educated in the public schools of
Dunbarton and Manchester, and at the New London Literary and Scientific
Institute, where he graduated in July, 1862. In August following he enlisted in
Company 11, Fourteenth New Hampshire Infantry. The regiment was on provost duty
a year in Washington city and served as Sergeant of the Guard at different
points, including the executive mansion, old Capital prison, Central
guard-house, Sixth street wharf and the Long bridge. In the spring of 1864 the
regiment went to Louisiana, returning to the James river in front of Richmond in
July. In August the Fourteenth New Hampshire joined the army of the Shenandoah
under Sheridan, and was attached to the First Brigade, Second Division,
Nineteenth Army Corps. The commissioned officers being absent, Holmes, then
First Sergeant, commanded his company during Sheridan's campaign and at its
close was commissioned First Lieutenant and presented with a sword by his
Colonel. In December, 1804, the division was ordered to Savannah, Georgia, and
although the youngest officer in the command, Holmes was placed in charge of the
refugees of the district of Savannah, and under the orders of General Sherman
sent about 30,000 negroes to the islands off the coast of South Carolina and
Georgia, where the celebrated Sea island cotton is raised. Declining a
commission in the regular army, he was mustered out with his regiment in July,
1865. Returning to his home he resumed his studies, and in the fall entered
Dartmonth College. Completing the second year of the course he then started
westward and spent three years as County Superintendent of Schools, and four
years as Clerk of Court. In 1877 he went to Chicago and was engaged in the
lumber business until 1883, when he removed to Seattle, and for two years was in
the employ of one of the prominent lumber firms of the city. When the Seattle
Daily Press was established he took the position of editor and was largely
instrumental in bringing the paper into prominence. Upon retiring from the press
he engaged in the real-estate business and was quite active up to the fall of
1889, when, with the adoption of the State Constitution, Mr. Holmes received the
nomination by the Republican party as Clerk of King county and was elected. Upon
the expiration of his term of office he organized the Holmes Lumber Company,
with factory located on Lake Union, and manufactured sash, doors, moldings and
builders' supplies, continuing up to October, 1892, when his mill was destroyed
by fire. The mill was rebuilt in the spring of 1893, on a larger scale. He was
married September 13, 1870, to Miss Jennie S. Stinson, of Dunbarton, New
Hampshire. They have two children, Kate M. and Carl S. With the organization of
the Grand Army of the Republic in 1857, Mr. Holmes at once recognized its value
and became an active member and filled various positions of trust in the order.
Upon arriving in Seattle he joined Stevens Post, and has since served two terms
as Commander of the post and two terms as chief mustering officer of the
department. In 1890 he was Department Commander and in 1893 was chosen as
Assistant Adjutant General. He was the originator of the Washington Soldiers'
home, and largely through his personal efforts secured legislation for its
establishment and maintenance. He is interested in several business enterprises
about the city, and his career is a striking example of the success which
attends energy, enterprise and intelligence, combined with integrity and public
spirit.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.