• J. M. HOLYOKE arrived in Knox County, IL about 1837 from Cincinnati, , OH.

• He lived in the township of Sparta and his occupation was listed as a farmer.

•In 1856 he was elected chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Sparta for nine years, after 2 years he served another four years and after an interval of four years was again elected Supervisor in 1875, an office he occupied for another three years.

• Wataga (town??) was laid out in the spring of 1854 by Silas, J.M. HOLYOKE and Clark M. Carr.

• Member of the Knox County Board of Supervisors

• Ran for Constitutional Convention Representative (Republican ticket) of Knox, IL

• Ran for Representative (Republican ticket) of Knox, IL … represented Knox County three terms in the Illinois Legislature … 1862 - 1868

• In 1874 Wataga was re-incorporated as a village territory. J. M. Holyoke was the first resident and postmaster. His occupation was listed as Real Estate

• J. M. Holyoke and A. P. Cassel built the first store in Wataga, Sparta, Knox, IL, for the firm of Willard & Babcock

• When his wife died he moved to Denver Colorado … was in the 1885 Colorado Census.

• He married his second wife, Sara Pearse in 1884 in Denver.

• Served in 1885 Secretary of the Colorado Senate … clerk in the Colorado Senate,

• Had a business of Black Hills Transportation Co…. this was before the railroads. He once again laid out city plots and expanded Denver into residential areas just before his death.

• He died in Denver, CO and his body was returned to Ill. and buried beside his wife and daughter's.



[S:168], [S:171], [S:250]81