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Descendants of James Tom Holland



James Tom Holland, son of George Washington Holland and Lydia Camp, was b. Paulding Co., Ga. 10/11/1876 died Paulding Co., Ga., 2/26/1939, buried Mt. Olivet Baptist Church Cemetery. In his early years Tom worked as a section hand for the Southern Railroad,and for two years was foreman at a mill at Vinings, Ga. He also farmed, but 10-15 years before his death he ran Dallas Grocery Company at Dallas, Ga., cotton buyers and dealers in staples and grains and feeds. Also, Tom was a Trustee for Willow Springs School. Unlike his father and his stout uncles, he was a tall, slender man with dancing eyes and long eyelashes, evidently taking after his mother, Lydia Camp Holland reportedly a "pretty little thing."

Dec. 2, 1900 Tom Holland married Willie Florence (called "sister") Collins (9/1/1884-10/7/1914), Paulding Co., Ga., the daughter of Thomas M. Collins and Nancy Carrie Lane, all buried at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church Cemetery, neat Dallas, Ga. "Sister" died at the age of 30.Tom had just built a new house at McPherson and they moved into it before it was completely finished. One night, she crawled into bed and was bitten by a rat. Shortly afterwards, she was sick with fever. The doctor was called, but she soon died. The house was never finished, andTom Holland lived it until his death. After her death, her sister, Ids Collins Johns helped raise the Holland children. Of necessity,the Holland boys became independent and self-sufficient, all of them learning to cook from an early age.

Tom Holland owned the store at McPherson many people lived on credit, while others never paid. In 1939, while too sick to work, a local resident insisted be open up the store. It was a coldFebruary and Tom, too sick to walk, was put inside a wheelbarrow and wheeled to the store. Not long afterward, he died. Later, relatives felt that the experience in inclement weather had "done him in." After his death, the store was run for several years by Pleas Craton. The old account book is at Pleas' house, inside a bureau drawer, with page after page of unpaid hills by citizens of McPherson.

Tom Holland owned a house "across the creek" adjacent to the railroad track at McPherson which he later rented to a sharecropper who raised cotton in the 180-acre bottom land. Later, he built a house identical to Hart Holland's, however, Tom never really finished his.The books of his general goods store at McPherson reflected many credit customers which never paid. Pleas and Mary Craton ran this store after Tom's death and also have records of many old unpaid accounts by the local people.

Directions to McPherson, Georgia (ghost-town). Hwy 275 thru Dallas. 1.8 miles from City Limits turn tight, High Shoals Road (unpaved). Sign on right: Mt. Olivet Church. Pass under railroad tressle. Turn left on Bob Howell Road. Pass McPherson Baptist Church test. about 1913) onright. Enter unpaved road to above site. McPherson was a village of abt 40 houses, where the section hands of the railroad resided. Although this site is not flat and has a deep ravine, houses were tightly situated. Crossing the tracks, the depot was between two buildings.

To left was a huge house. To the tight, Tom Holland's store. His wife, Willie Florence would walk several feet from her house to the depot, disembarking at terminal station, downtown Atlanta. Ironically, being the very site upon which her husband's grandfather, Archibald, farmed 202-1/2 acres, which he drew in the land lottery! In a day of mules, horses, trains, she shopped more conveniently that we do today!

Issue of James Tom Holland and Willie Florence (Collins) Holland:
  • Thomas Alton Holland, Jr., b. 2/8/1931 Atlanta, Ga. m. Jean Stinchcomb (divorced) andhad one child, Nona Lee Holland, who was born 4/28/1955 in Atlanta, Ga. m. 11/7/1986 GaryWilshire (residents of Roswell, Ga.). They have one child: Stephen Holland Wilshire, b.9/28/1987.

    • Southbound Train from McPherson.
    James Tom Holland
    L-R: (rear) Willie Florence Collins Holland and James Tom Holland. L-R: (front) Eugene, Alton, Benjamin

    L. B. Holland
    Laurel Benjamin Holland, son of James Tom Holland, standing in front of the McPherson House ca 1920 where his mother was bitten by a wharf rat.

    L. B. Holland
    Laurel Benjamin Holland ca 1945

    L. B. Holland Wedding
    Wedding of Laurel Benjamin Holland and Marguerite Elizabeth Evans.

    L. B. Holland Obituary
    Obituary of Marguerite Holland published in the Atlanta Journal.

    Willow Springs School
    Willow Springs School Baseball Team. First row L-R (sitting): Rad Gurley; Alton Holland (1905-1968); Edward McClendon. Middle Row: Clarence Holland, with face guard, son of Hart Holland; ? ; Ben Holland (with glove). Top Row: L-R. Remus Gurley, Gene Holland (with bat).

    Willow Springs School
    Willow Springs School, Dallas, Georgia. Front Row: 5th from Left: Gene Holland. 7th from Left (standing): Ben Holland.

    McPherson Reunion
    1921 Reunion at McPherson, Georgia. Top Row: William Baxter, Ben Holland, Herb Baxter, Guy Craton. 2nd Row: Money Joe Thomas, Tom Holland, Henry Craton, Lillie Baxter, Lucy Myrtle Howe, Christine Gurley, Flora and Hope Craton, Minnie Craton, Pleas Craton, Bessie and Robert Hicks, Emma and Charlie Gurley, Della Craton. Front Row: ??, Joe Brown Craton, Hoyt Craton, Susie Hicks, Joe Hicks and children, Carl and Florence (in lap), John Ratterly.

    Holland Family
    Marguerite Holland holding Dorothy. L-R: Ben, Dorothy, Jeannette, Marianne.Holland Reunion
    Holland Reunion. L-R: Alton Holland. 2d Row: L-R: Nona Holland (wife of Alton); Marguerite Holland; Florence Foster; Nona Lee Holland; Dottie. 3rd Row: L-R: Carl Foster, Tommy Holland, son of Alton Holland.