San Diego County Biographies
 
J. C. HOLLAND

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


one of the early pioneers to California who after twenty-seven years of hard and 
continuous labor has settled down in peace and contentment, in his comfortable 
cottage at the corner of Tenth and F streets. He was born at Hyde, Cheshire 
County, England, October 25, 1834. He was the youngest son in a family of 
thirteen children, and after getting an education and learning the trade of 
bricklayer, at the age of twenty one years, he left home, family and country, to 
seek name and fortune in the vast country of the United States, whose arms are 
extended to the industrious of every nationality, provided they seek her shores 
with honesty of purpose, and become loyal to the flag which floats over them. 
Mr. Holland crossed in a sailing vessel, landing in New York. He then spent two 
years in Canada and five years in Indiana, working at his trade and at contract 
work. In 1862, he returned to New York en route to California, by the Nicaragua 
.route, on the steamer America on the Atlantic, and the Rolling Moses on the 
Pacific, and arriving at San Francisco, July 12, 1862. He was then sick about 
one year, from fever contracted at Nicaragua. After recovering he spent three 
months at Virginia City, and then sailed for the Sandwich Islands, where he 
passed five years working at his trade, contracting in both brick, stone and 
street building.  He then returned to San Francisco and came direct to San 
Diego, arriving November 5, 1869. He immediately built himself a residence, 
corner of Tenth and F streets, and moved in before Christmas of the same year. 
The first contract work in San Diego was the old Express Building corner of 
Sixth and G streets for A. E. Horton; he also built the court-house and several 
smaller buildings. In 1873 he returned to San Francisco, working in and about 
the city for eight years. From 1880 to 1885, he worked at San Diego, San 
Bernardino and Los Angeles, returning to San Diego in June, 1885; then operated 
a little during the real-estate boom, but is now living quietly and happily in 
his comfortable home.
        Mr. Holland was married at Ingersoll, Canada, June 17, 1856, to Miss 
Susan B. James, of English and Canadian descent. Having no children of their own 
they adopted a little girl, who is now with them. Mr. Holland is a member of the 
Society of San Diego Pioneers.
 
SOURCE:  An Illustrated History of Southern California:  Embracing the Counties 
of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower 
California� Chicago:  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890.  p.-  201