David Holloway ~ Early Quaker Pioneer, Merchant and Tavern Owner

The "Holloway Inn" much altered since its early days.

The following is taken from an article, “Miami Monthly Meeting, Part I” by Robert Hatton printed in the Miami-Gazette (March 15, 1876):

David Holloway (b. June 23rd, 1771 Stafford, Va.-d. December 31st, 1847 in Richmond, Indiana) was his (Roland Richards’) son-in-law, having married (March 12th, 1794 at Hopewell Monthly Meeting) his second daughter Hannah (b. January 31st, 1774 in Philadelphia), who was an excellent Friend. David had much of a consequential air about him, and in the earlier part of his time was tenacious of plainness, bringing his children to meeting, etc., and would close his store on meeting days. It is related of him that when suspenders were first brought about, his sons, then in their teens, procured some, which their father no sooner discovered, that he took them away and burned them. Subsequently, the youngsters procured flax and twisted it into a substitute. On this becoming known to David he destroyed them and reprimanded his children. This produced a dislike to the society and when they reached majority they left Friends and married from among them. No doubt David was perfectly sincere in his views, as he never adopted the condemned suspenders in his own wardrobe. About the year 1815 he moved to Cincinnati and the general depression of the commercials affairs in 1819-20 added to some unfortunate endorsements resulted in the loss of most of the acquirements of years of active labor. In 1822 he removed to a farm in Indiana, about four miles east of Richmond, where he remained a few years; and after several other changes closed his life from a cancer. His very superior wife survived him several years.

In the early days of Waynesville, Third Street was the main road on which businesses were located. David Holloway had his store at the corner of High and Third Streets. He also built a "house of entertainment", a tavern, "Holloway's Tavern", at the same crossroads. He bought the land from David Faulkner in 1807. In 1814 he sold this property to Joel Wright and moved to Cincinnati.

Hannah and David Holloway had seven children: Dayton [sometimes spelled, Daten] (b. 1795), Lydia (1796), Margaret (1799), John (1801), Abigail (1803), Hannah (1807) and David P. Holloway (1809). David P. Holloway, the grandson of Rowland Richards, was destined to be a Congressman from Indiana.

For more information about David P. Holloway see:

Picture History - David P. Holloway (1809-1883), and,
David P. Holloway