Born in 1807, E.M. HOLT was one of a family of six children. His father Michael HOLT III, operated a large farm, kept a machine shop, and ran a gerneral store near the village that is now Alamance. In addition, he found time to serve in teh State Legislature. Edwin's mother, Rachel RAINEY HOLT, was the daughter of the Reverend Benjamin RAINEY, pioneer minister and educator. Young Edwin grew up in a mixed environment of agriculture, mechanics, merchandising, politics and religion. From his father he inherited an instaable couriosity and from his mother a keen intellect. he attended the log-cabin village school in winter and helped his father on the farm or in the store in summer. Whenever he could, the boy slipped away to his father's machine shop to watch the making of wheels for one of the farm wagons or shaping of some part for the girst mill on the Creek. Mechanical things fascinated him. Shortly after his twenty-first birthday, Edwin married Miss Emily FARISH, the daughter of a properous Chatham County farmer, and built for her a home, "Locust Grove" on the plantation whre his ancestors had fought the Battle of Alamance. Mrs.HOLT born him ten children, on of whom, Thomas M. HOLT, was destined to becomer Governor of North Carolina. Centennial History of Alamance County, Whitaker ==== NCORANGE Mailing List ==== Larry Noah - lrnoah@bigfoot.com - Listowner - NCORANGE mailing list Orange Co, NC USGenWeb site is at http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncorange GENDEX at http://www.gendex.com/gendex/ has over 1400 databases on line