JOHN C. HOLMES. Huntington, Indiana.
John C. Holmes was born November 6, 1846, in Akron, Ohio, where his father, 0. G. Adams, lived and worked at his trade, that of millwright. The young man was a diligent student in the public schools of Akron until he was 17 years of age, when, having acquired a good common school education, he cast about him for a vocation to follow. The pottery business appealed to him as a trade whereby good wages could be earned and he learned the trade of a worker in stone ware. For seven years he followed this business and then left it to accept a position as an apprentice in the Baltimore & Ohio machine shops at Parkersburg, West Virginia. In a short time he was advanced to fireman, in which capacity he served four years, resigning to return to the pottery business. For the next thirteen years he worked at this trade in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Atwater and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. In 1888 Master Mechanic Rogers offered him a position as fireman on the Erie and he accepted it. He fired two and a half years and was then promoted to engineer and assigned to the freight service, in which capacity he has worked ever since, acquitting himself with great care and credit.

He was married April 26, 1868, to Miss Lodema R. Hough, daughter of Joel R. Hough, a prominent druggist of Atwater, Ohio. They have three daughters, all graduates of Huntington High School. Mary L., the oldest, holds a fine position as stenographer in the Division Engineer's office of the Erie; Martha A., also a stenographer, is in the employ of one of the largest law firms of Huntington; Cora E., the youngest, is attending Normal School at Terre Haute, Indiana. Mrs. Holmes is a member of Good Will Lodge, No. 19, G. I. A., Auxiliary to B. of L. E., and Floral Chapter, No. 75, 0. E. S. Mr. Holmes is highly esteemed by his many acquaintances, and is well liked by his fellow engineers; he stands well in the confidence of the officials, and has never been suspended from service during his entire career. He is an influential citizen, and, together with his family, is prominent in society. He is a member of William Hugo Lodge. No. 166. B. of L. F.; B. of L. E., Division 221; Amity Lodge, No. 483, F. & A. M., and Royal Arcanum, No. 1006.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

From the June 1, 1908 issue of the Marion Daily Star newspaper:
Engineer John Holmes of the C&E was taken sick Sunday and returned to his home in Huntington.

From the February, 1916 issue of the Locomotive Engineers' Monthly Journal, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Obituaries, P. 143:
Huntington, Ind., Jan. 4, 1916, of pneumonia, Sister Lodema Holmes of G.I.A. Division 19, aged 68 years. Carried two (insurance) certificates dated Feb., 1898, payable to John Holmes, husband.