Holt, George W., Jr.

The following data is extracted from Windham County, Connecticut History.

Jonathan Holt, a soldier of the revolution, was the father of Josiah Holt, a native of Hampton, Conn. who during his active life followed the trade of a machinist. He married Mary Prior, who became the mother of a large family, the eldest son, William L., being well-known as a successful manufacturer, and a man of much mechanical skill, both in -New England and in the South, to which section he subsequently removed. Another son, George W. Holt, the father of the subject of this biography, was born March 16th, 1816, in Plainfield, Conn., and in 1831 removed to Slatersville, R. I., where he remained until 1870, when Providence became and is at present his home. Entering the cotton mills when a boy he rose through the successive grades, finally becoming superintendent, agent and part owner. Having abandoned active business he still continues the efficient president of the Monohansett Manufacturing Company. Mr. Molt was on the 3d of September, 1839, married to Lucy Dodge, daughter of Barney Dodge, of Smithfield, R. I. Their children are a son, George W., Jr., and a daughter, Ellen Porter.

George W. Holt, Jr., was born July 21st, 1840, in Slatersville, where his early education was received at the village school. In 1857 he became a pupil of the Phillips Academy, at Andover, Mass., and one year later entered the Scientific Department of Brown University, where he completed a two years' course of study. His father was at this time manager of the Slatersville Mills, and also engaged in building and starting the Forestdale Mills, in which Mr. Holt became assistant superintendent, and continued to act in that capacity for ten years. He then spent a year in Providence, and in 1871 came to Putnam, as superintendent for the Monohansett Manufacturing Company, which had become lessees of certain manufacturing property and --ater power at that point. The business which had been conducted under a partnership with Estus Lamb and George W. Holt as the owners, was in 1882 incorporated as the company above mentioned. Mr. Holt on his advent in Putnam assumed charge of the property, placed the machinery, started the mills and acted as superintendent until 1888, when he became agent, having since the date of incorporation had an interest in the business. The product of the mills consists of plain sheetings and shirtings, for which New York city affords a ready market. Mr. Holt has been since 1873 a member of the board of trustees of the Putnam Savings Bank, and has interested himself in various enterprises tending to advance the growth of the village,, especially in the introduction of the electric light. As a republican he was elected to the Connecticut house of representatives for the session of 1889, and served as chairman of the committee on manufactures.

Mr. Holt married November 6th, 1865, Marion A., daughter of Estes Burdon, of Blackstone, Mass., who died soon after. He was again married April 27th, 1872, to Rosalie F., daughter of Samuel F. Dyer, of North Kingstown, R. I. Their children are a son, William Franklin, now a pupil of the Greenwich Academy, at Greenwich, Conn., and Mary Florence, who is pursuing her studies in the Putnam High School.

Source: Windham County, Connecticut History

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