Born: Aberdeen, O., 1839.Died: 1925.
Born: Aberdeen, O., 1839.
Died: 1925.
Nature cast Mr. Holton in a large mould. His grandfather, William Holton, served through the War of 1812 and was in the battle of Tippecanoe. There he commanded a company in which were four of his brothers. He was also a member of the first legislative body of Virginia, his adopted State. From Fanquier County he migrated to Mason County, Ky., where William Holton, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born. His mother was Sally Price Tilghman, a native of Albemarle County, Va. Both branches of his family were of pre-Revolutionary stock.
He enjoyed superior educational advantages. He went to the country school, to Aberdeen Seminary, to the Southwestern Normal School at Lebanon, O., and graduated from Bethany College July 4, 1862. Before he was seventeen he was a schoolmaster at Genntown, O. On a certificate marked 100 he conducted a school of eighty-five pupils efficiently for nine months. Leaving Bethany after graduation, he served as vice-president of Jefferson College, near Louisville, Ky., of which O. A. Bartholomew was president. Early in 1864, Mr. Holton became the head of Falmouth Academy. Miss Sally E. Holton, his sister, served as assistant. Under their lead this school did superior work for two and a half years.
In 1866 he became pastor of the church at Vincennes; Ind. In 1868 he became pastor of the church at Springfield, Ill. Next he served the Berlin Church, and at the same time was principal of the public schools there for three years. In 1873 he moved to Lincoln and served the church there and at Atlanta half-time each. Thereafter, with Lincoln as the center, he ministered to many churches; as, Broadwell, Mason City, Pekin, Old Union, Hallville, Emden, Bethel, Delavan and Eminence. The Old Union Church he served fourteen and a half years. In the meantime, he moved to Tallula and served the church there four years, and to De Land also, with the same period of pastorate.
During his first years in Lincoln he did considerable secular work, clerking in bank and bookstore. Later, he served eight years as circuit clerk in Logan County. Thereafter, when his political principles had improved and his civic perspective became clarified, he stood for the State Legislature on the Prohibition ticket and received five thousand votes.
His religious experiences have been marked. When a young man at school, he had for his room-mate Ira J. Bloomfield, who won his star in the Civil War. The two attended Sunday school and church together. Being well intentioned, they decided to become members of this church, provided they could be immersed. The minister, however, desired that they should "conform to their religious usage." They were likely lads, so the preacher left with them a booklet entitled "Immersion Not Baptism." This declared that immersion was "unscriptural, inconvenient and indecent." When the dominie returned he found the lads unchanged. "Well, now," he said, "boys, we want you, and will immerse you if that is your choice." Whereupon, they declared that neither he nor his church had any right to do an unscriptural and indecent thing in the name of the Lord.
In 1858, Mr. Holton was baptized by Min. Marsena Stone and received into the Baptist Church. He related no visions nor wonderful experiences. The formula that the preacher used was this. "My brother, upon a confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and by his authority, I baptize you into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, for the remission of sins." Up to this time this young man had thought to become a lawyer. Now the good Baptist sisters urged him to prepare to preach the gospel; thus God changed his life purpose. During his four years at Bethany he changed his church affiliation. On one occasion, George W. Minier said to him: "Brother Holton, you are entirely too modest." So he entered into the active work of the ministry only by the urgency of the lamented preacher, J. Z. Taylor.
Mr Holton's life has been very active and fruitful. He has been much in demand for public addresses, at Commencements, on Memorial Days, at Old Settlers' Reunions, Fourth of July celebrations and Ministerial Institutes. He has united in marriage six hundred couples, has preached one thousand funerals, and led near two thousand persons into the kingdom of God. Such facts indicate his wisdom, his worth and his place in the confidence and affections of the people. He has filled a large place of usefulness, preaching in schoolhouses and doing most all sorts of miscellaneous and unclassified Christian work.
In 1907 he moved to Bloomington. Since then, his helpful ministry has been continued in the regions round about.