Will County ILGenWeb Biographies..... 
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File contributed for use by:
Dori Leekly & Margie Glenn

Author: History of Will County, Illinois; Chicago: Wm LeBaron Jr & Co, 186 Dearborn Street, 1878.

Hon. Charles C. P. HOLDEN, Chicago; is a native of Groton, New Hampshire; he was born on the 
9th of August, 1827, and is the son of Phineas H. and Betsey P. HOLDEN. His mother was the 
only daughter of Lieut. Levi PARKER, of the Continental army. His parents had a small farm 
among the rugged hills of New Hampshire. In 1830, they removed to West Hartford, Vermont, 
settling on an eighty-acre farm, where they remained until June 1, 1836, at which time they 
removed, with their family of nine children, to Illinois. Arriving in Chicago on the morning 
of June 30, 1836, the family at once obtained conveyances and started for the country, first 
seeking the home of Josiah R. HOLDEN, brother of the senior HOLDEN, who lived a few miles 
below Plainfield, on the Du Page River, in Will County. After a brief visit, Mr. HOLDEN 
located a claim at Skunk Grove on the headwaters of Hickory Creek, now Frankfort. Mr. HOLDEN 
received but a very limited education, having to go with his brothers and sisters a distance 
of three miles to a school kept in a rude log hut. Subsequently, the family had a school 
taught in their own house, and the teacher of the school was Mr. A. B. SAFFORD, now a 
leading banker of Cairo, IL. In 1842, his father placed him in Charles Sweet's grocery 
store on North Witter street, where the freight-house of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway 
now stands. In 1845, be went into W. W. BARLOW's bookstore, where he remained on a salary of 
$I2 per mouth until the spring of 1847, at which time, the Mexican war still raging, he 
enlisted in Company F, 5th Regiment Illinois Volunteers. Mr. HOLDEN carried his musket for 
nineteen months, serving until the close of the war. After a short visit to his home he 
entered the employment of A. H. & C. BURLEY, booksellers, at that time at 122 Lake Street 
in this city. He remained in their service until March 19, 1850, at which time he left, in 
company with seven others, by the overland route, for California, where he arrived early in 
July of that year. Mr. HOLDEN immediately commenced mining, and following it closely for 
fifteen months in the dry diggings of Logtown, and on the Middle Fork of the American River, 
when in October, 1851, he joined his old employer, W. W. BARLOW, and went to Napa Valley, 
where he entered into farming and stock-raising, remaining here until the fall of 1853, when 
he closed up his operations, and took passage on the steamship Winfield Scott from San 
Francisco, December 1, for home. The second night out, when off Santa Barbara, in a dense 
fog, the steamship was wrecked by running on the rocks of Anna Capa Island. The passengers, 
however, were safely landed, arriving in New York January 1, 1854. From New York he went to 
New England, returning to Chicago, March 18, 1854. February 20, 1855, he entered the service 
of the Illinois Central Railroad Company in its land department, with which corporation he 
continued until February 4, 1873. September 17, 1855, Mr. HOLDEN was married to Miss Sarah J. 
REYNOLDS, daughter of Isaac N. and Rue Ann REYNOLDS, of New Lenox, Will Co., IL. His wife was 
born on the farm where he married her; her mother, Mrs. REYNOLDS, was a daughter of the late 
Abraham HOLDERMAN, who was one of the first settlers in northern Illinois, having located a 
large tract of land at Holderman's Grove, La Salle and Kendall Counties, in 1830. Mr. 
HOLDERMAN was a native of Pennsylvania. In 1858, Mr. HOLDEN was a delegate to the State 
Convention at Springfield, IL. at which Convention Abraham LINCOLN was first brought 
prominently before the American people. In April 1861, Mr. HOLDEN was elected to the Common 
Council of Chicago. When Mr. HOLDEN first entered the Council, the war had just been declared. 
The Council voted money and supplies liberally to its citizen volunteers, and through his own 
effort, in 1862, he raised a company  (E) for the 88th Illinois Volunteers. This company was 
commanded by his brother, Levi P. HOLDEN, who had enlisted in the service at the beginning of 
the war in the 20th Illinois Volunteers. Subsequently Capt. HOLDEN was promoted to Major of 
the same regiment. He had one other brother in the service, David L. HOLDEN, who was 
commissary Sergeant of the 53d Regiment. Mrs. HOLDEN also had two brothers in the service, 
one of whom, John R. REYNOLDS, a Sergeant in Company E, 88th Illinois Volunteers, died January 
23, 1863, in hospital at Nashville, Tenn., just after the battle of Stone River. Joseph S. 
REYNOLDS another brother, was a Captain in the Yates Sharpshooters; and, after going with 
SHERMAN to the sea, he returned home a Brigadier-General. Mr. HOLDEN had a representative 
in the army in the person of Alonzo C. IDE; Mrs. HOLDEN had hers in the person of Harris 
DURKEE; and her sister, Rowena P. REYNOLDS, had one in the person of Frederick A. HAUSMANN. 
Late in 1864, when President LINCOLN called for 300,000 more, Chicago's quota was very large, 
and the various wards were called upon for their respective quota. Mr. HOLDEN organized a 
draft association, of which he was President, for his ward (at that time the Tenth), to raise 
money to fill their quota, and succeeded in raising nearly $52,000 for this purpose. There 
was no draft in this ward. 

In December, 1870, Mr. HOLDEN was elected President of the Common Council, and at the time of 
the great fire, when all was confusion, the main part of the city in ruins, after looking over 
the field on the morning of Oct. 9, be quickly concluded that something had to be done to 
relieve the 100,000 people then in dire distress, and that, too, quickly. Calling to his aid 
Mr. O. E. MOORE and Capt. MILLER, he took possession of the church on the corner of Ann and 
Washington streets, and here was formed a nucleus which subsequently became world-renowned 
for the great good done. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon of that ever memorable day, Mr. HOLDEN 
had succeeded in getting together the Mayor and Police Commissioner BROWN, when, at his 
request, the Hon. S. S. HAYES drew up the following proclamation:

WHEREAS, In the providence of God, to whose will we humbly submit, a terrible calamity has 
befallen our city, which demands of as our best efforts for the preservation of order and the 
relief of the suffering; Be it known, That the faith and credit of the city of Chicago is 
hereby pledged for the necessary expenses for the relief of the suffering. Public order will 
be preserved. The police and special police, now being appointed, will be responsible for the 
maintenance of the peace and the protection of property. All officers and men of the fire 
department and health department will act as special policemen without further notice. The 
Mayor and Comptroller will give vouchers for all supplies furnished by the different relief 
committees The headquarters of the city government will be at the Congregational Church, 
corner of West Washington and Ann streets. All persons are warned against any acts tending 
to endanger property. All persons caught in any depredations, will be immediately arrested.

With the help of God, order and peace and private property shall be preserved. The city 
government and committees of citizens pledge themselves to the community to protect them 
and prepare the way for a restoration of public and private welfare. It is believed the 
fire has spent its force and all will soon be well.

R. B. MASON, Mayor
George TAYLOR, Comptroller. (By R. B. Mason.)
Charles C. P. HOLDEN, President Common Council.
T. B. BROWN, President Board of Police.
CHICAGO, October 9, 1871.

After the great fire both political parties nominated him for the mayoralty. Hon. Joseph 
MEDILL was nominated upon what was termed the fireproof ticket for the same position. The 
city press indorsed the fireroof ticket. Mr. HOLDEN, with his associate's on the ticket, 
made a gallant fight, but were beaten at the polls, and the entire fire-proof ticket was 
elected. Mr. HOLDEN continued to serve in the council until the expiration of his term, 
Dec. 1, 1872. In February 1873, Mayor MODILL nominated Mr. HOLDEN for the position of 
Police Commissioner. Mr. HOLDEN, being largely engaged in building at the time, declined 
the proffered position, as will be seen by the following:

Hon. Joseph MEDILL, Mayor,
Dear Sir:  From the proceedings of the Council last evening, I learn that my name was 
submitted by your honor as Police Commissioner, to fill the vacancy caused by the removal 
of Mr. RENO. While I am not only willing, but anxious to serve your honor and the best 
interest of the city in its present difficulties, my other positive engagements will not 
allow me to fill the proffered position. Thanking you most kindly for your preference, I 
have to ask that you will submit some other name and withdraw mine from the Common 
Council.
I am, yours most respectfully,
Charles C. P. HOLDEN.

Mr. HOLDEN was appointed West Chicago Park Commissioner by Gov. PALMER, in March 1869, and 
reappointed in 1871, for seven years. In 1872, he was one of the Greeley electors on the 
State ticket; he was elected County Commissioner in November, 1874, for the term of three 
years; Mr. HOLDEN was chosen President of the County Board on the first Monday in 
December, 1876; the Court House had but just been commenced, but during his term of office 
he gave it his unqualified attention, laying the corner-stone of the same July 4, 1877; 
the County Hospital was also begun and carried to completion during his term of 
Commissioner; in 1867, Mr. HOLDEN procured the charter for the Chicago & Illinois River 
Railroad, and during its first years was its President; it is now in operation between 
Joliet and Streator; Mr. HOLDEN is now engaged in building the Joliet & Mendota Short Line 
Railway. Mr. HOLDEN's, wife died after a long and painful illness, July 26, 1873; she was 
a most lovely woman, adored by all who knew her; for nearly eighteen years she had been the 
joy of Mr. HOLDEN's household, making all happy around her, and Mr. HOLDEN attributes the 
great success which he had during those years to his departed and lovely wife; soon after 
their marriage, and in 1858, her sister, Rowena P. REYNOLDS, came to live with the family, 
and has ever since been a member of it; Mr. HOLDEN's sister, Sarah Ann C., died of 
consumption in 1847; his sister Mary Emeline, wife of Dr. J. W. Freer, died of consumption 
in 1846; his mother, Betsey PARKER HOLDEN, died of cancer in the face Sept. 24, 1869, aged 
78 years; his father, Phineas H. HOLDEN, died of old age, hurried on by a severe cold, Feb. 
23, 1872, aged 79 years and 10 months; his wife and these members of his family now rest in 
the beautiful Oakwood Cemetery, near Joliet, in this State. Mr. HOLDEN was married to Miss 
Louise R. JONES daughter of John JONES, of Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 28th of April 1875. Of 
his father's family living, there are Newton P. HOLDEN, County Physician of Cook Co.; David 
L. HOLDEN, station agent for the Illinois Central Railroad at Matteson, IL; George M. 
HOLDEN, long of this city, now in the employ of the city as one of its trusted officers; 
Maj. Levi P. HOLDEN, at Hampton, Iowa; Mrs. Elizabeth W. WILSON, of Ft. Madison, Iowa, and 
Mrs. Mira J. BROWN, of Chicago.