Tarrant County TXGenWeb

Captain George Bird Holland
Texas Pioneer - Confederate Veteran

Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Thursday, Feb. 10, 1921

 

    

G. B. HOLLAND died Wednesday afternoon [Feb.9, 1921] at the home of his son, G. C. HOLLAND. Funeral services were held Thursday at the First Baptist Church, Rev. J. Frank NORRIS officiating. Burial was in Mount Olivet Cemetery with members of the Albert Sidney Johnson Camp, United Confederate Veterans acting as pall bearers.

Captain Holland was born at Holly Springs, Miss. in 1835, and came to Texas with his parents in 1842. He was a schoolmate at Marshall [Harrison County, Tex] of Judge W. P. McLEAN and Major K. M. VAN ZANDT. The family moved to Tarrant County when he was 16 and settled in the White Settlement community.

Holland volunteered for Confederate service in 1861. Four of his comrades were John Peter SMITH, Ephraim DAGGETT, James WOODS and Robert TURNER - all of whom became well known in Fort Worth. Holland made a good record during the early part of the war in Arizona and New Mexico, later taking part in the Louisiana campaign in which BANKS and his Federal troops were driven across two states to the Mississippi River. Following the war, he was in Ranger service for a time.

Holland was engaged in many activities including that of a successful traveling salesman for a Dallas dry goods house, owner and one time editor of the Fort Worth Democrat, an owner of theaters in Fort Worth, Terrell, Dallas, Waco, Laredo and El Paso and Cripple Creek, Col., as well as owner of race horses. His first theater was located two doors from the corner of Weatherford and Houston Streets, and the second, known as the Centennial, at Second and Main. A Sept. 10, 1881 classified "ad" appeared in a New York paper showing Captain Holland wearing a Confederate uniform, announcing the opening of "My Own," one of Fort Worth's first theaters.

In 1871 Holland married Miss Mary Ellen HUGHES at McKinney who died the next year in Mexico. His second marriage was in Fort Worth in 1893 [name not given].

In late years Holland was active in the United Confederate Veteran circles. He was elected Commander of the Albert Sidney Johnston Camp No.1820 in 1919. He is said to have raised more money for defraying expenses of veterans to national reunions than any other veteran in Fort Worth. [He was also Captain of the "Confederate Grays," R. E. L. UCV and received the Southern Cross of Honor in 1908.]

Up until a few years ago, it was said that he could ride a bronco like a rodeo star and that few young men could kill as many plover in a day as he. For several years up until his death he was Public Weigher for Precinct No. 1. One daughter, Mrs. Nora SLATE of New Orleans and two sons, Charles and Grover C. (Dock) HOLLAND, both of Fort Worth, survive.




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