Introduction to the 1923 Biographical Sketches
This biographical sketch was published along with many others in the 1923 History of Auglaize County, Volume II, edited by William J. McMurray and published by the Historical Publishing Company of Indianapolis. In most cases the subject of the biography was of the first generation born in this country to German immigrants. In some cases the subject may have been born in Germany and came to this country at a young age. In most cases the story tells of the immigrant parents of the subject and also the children and grandchildren of the subject named at the beginning of the story. In some cases comments have been added after the biography to explain the locations of the farms where the immigrants settled. New Knoxville did not have rural addresses until 1955, and therefore the settlers had rural route addresses of St. Marys, Botkins, etc.
GEORGE WILLIAM HOLL, former state senator from this district, a former representative in the lower House of the Ohio General Assembly from this district, president of the Auglaize Tile Company of New Knoxville, a former justice of the peace in and for Washington township, president of the Business Men's Club of New Knoxville, an active dealer in real estate, a former teacher in the schools of this county, and for years one of the best known men in the county, is a native son of Auglaize county and has lived here his life, a continuous resident of the pleasant village in which he was born.
Mr. Holl was born at New Knoxville on March 19, 1877, and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Wierwille) Holl, the latter of whom also was born in that village, a member of one of the pioneer families of that part of the county, the Wierwilles having been early settlers here, as is set out elsewhere in this work. The late George Holl was a native of Germany and grew to manhood in his native land, becoming a skilled shoemaker.
When past twenty-five years of age he came to this country with one of his brothers, making the trip on a sailing vessel which was fourteen weeks in making the passage. He landed at the port of New York with but 20 cents in his pocket. and lost little time in "working his way" over into Pennsylvania, one of the German-speaking communities of that state having been his objective upon coming to this country. While there he learned of the conditions of settlement then existing over in this section of Ohio and became attracted to the possibilities that awaited the newcomer here. With nothing but the knowledge of his trade and an earnest willingness to do his part in the labors of the community, he came to Auglaize county and set up a shoemaker's shop at New Knoxville. Not long afterward he married Elizabeth Wierwille and established his home there.
In that village he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1891. His widow survived until 1911. To George Holl and wife were born six children, the subject of this sketch (the first born) having four sisters, Rosa, Rebecca, Elizabeth and Mary, and a brother, Edward Holl. Reared at New Knoxville, George W. Holl received his early schooling in the excellent schools of that village and completed the common school course by attendance for two years and six months in the high school at St. Marys, often walking daily back and forth from his home to St. Marys in order to secure the advantage of the high school course.
Having been bereft of his father when he was but fourteen years of age, Mr. Holl—as the elder son—early found devolving upon him the duty of contributing to the support of his widowed mother and the younger children of the family. Upon leaving the high school he secured a license to teach school, and for nine years thereafter was engaged during the winters in teaching in the schools of this county, during that time acquiring a wide and valuable acquaintance throughout the county.
A portion of his vacation periods was utilized in advancing his schooling by attendance at the Ohio Northern University at Ada, and he meanwhile was developing other interests with a view to getting into business, among these interests having been that taken in the affairs of the New Knoxville Hoop Company, of which he was elected secretary.
In 1908 he became one of the active promoters in the organization of the Auglaize Tile Company of New Knoxville and was elected president of that flourishing concern, a position he still occupies, one of the best known figures in the industrial life of the community, and the controlling stockholder in the company of which he is the head.
In addition to this business, Mr. Holl also has for twenty years been actively engaged the real estate business, with particular reference to farm sales, and is also widely known as an appraiser of real estate, his accurate knowledge of land values giving to his services in this connection a value that is widely appreciated hereabout. As a promoter of local interests in and about his home town, Mr. Holl has for years been regarded as one of the real "live wires" of that community, his activities in this connection having included his promotion of the telephone, electric light and natural gas companies there and his active participation in their affairs. He was one of the organizers of the New Knoxville commercial or business men's club and is the present president of that useful body.
Diligent in business, Mr. Holl has naturally done well in the various enterprises with which he is connected, and in addition to his other holdings has farm lands of considerable value. He has a pleasant home in the village of New Knoxville, and he and his family are very comfortably situated. Mr. Holl is an ardent Democrat and has for many years been looked upon as one of the leaders of that party in this county.
Even as a young man, his capacity for public service was recognized by his neighbors when he was elected a member of the local board of education of New Knoxville and he was made secretary of that body. Then the people of Washington township elected him a justice of the peace, and for four years he served in that magisterial capacity. In 1912, following one of the hardest fought preliminary campaigns that was ever carried on in Auglaize county, Mr. Holl received the nomination to the office of representative from this county in the lower House of the General Assembly of the state of Ohio, and was continued in that important representative body by re-election for four years, at the end of which time, in 1916, he was made the nominee of his party as this district's representative in the state Senate and was elected, continuing also to serve in this body for four years, a continuous period of eight years of legislative service, during which he naturally acquired a state-wide acquaintance.
During his service in the House, Mr. Holl introduced several bills that became laws, one of the most notable of which was his bill requiring state banks to bear the expense incident to their formal examination. During his service in the Senate he was a member of the important finance committee of that body and thus became one of the leaders of the Senate. He was serving in that body during the time of this country's participation in the World war, and when in 1918 the important committee on Americanization was created was made a member of that committee.
Upon his retirement from the Senate he was, by special appointment of Governor Davis, retained as a member of that committee, his services in that behalf having been recognized as having special value. Since his retirement from public life, Mr. Holl has been devoting his attention closely to his own private affairs, though still keeping in close touch with the general civic situation in the state.
On June 17, 1903, George W. Holl was united in marriage to Emily Holtkamp, daughter of William Holtkamp, a member of one of the pioneer families of this county, and to this union have been born five children, Olga, Carl, Margaret, Marian and Grace. Mr. and Mrs. Holl are members of the First Reformed church of New Knoxville and have for years taken a warm interest in the affairs of that influential congregation. For thirty years Mr. Holl has been one of the singers in the choir of that church, and for the past eleven or twelve years has been the choir director. When the extensive rebuilding program adopted by the Reformed church a year ago was put in operation, he was elected a member of the building committee, and has thus done his part in that fine bit of extension work, acting as secretary of the committee.
The extensive rebuilding program of the Reformed church mentioned in this article is the Kunst addition on the east side of the building.