TWO HORSE POWER HAY BALER. Andrew Jackson Holland with his son David M. Holland: Grandfather and father of Dr. V.M. Holland

TWO HORSE POWER HAY BALER.

What we are looking at is a hay bale pressing machine set up with two horses... a TWO HORSE POWER HAY BALER. 

The photo was taken by a traveling photographer who did photos for hire with wealthy land owners and business men who wanted a photo of their "pride and joy" here it is his crew of hay balers with the capital investment of the machinery and horses that was his trade in the community. My sister is doing a wonderful job of picking up where our father  Dr. V.M. Holland left off with puzzling out our family history. Lots of work remains with this image... love to have any comments about the others in the photo or about the process of baling hay with that press.

"Found this photo with negatives that Dad had stored.  Original was a postcard (bad condition) with marking on the back “Mordie and Will”, not Dad’s handwriting.  Mordie is young boy, wearing a hat in center of photo.  Will is in front of the lead horse/ mule.  One of the men is probably their father, Andrew Jackson.  Not sure if it is the one beside Mordie or the one turning his head, standing in front to the far right.  Date:  very early 1900’s, is a guess; Location:  Tennessee"

"Andrew Jackson Holland was born in 1860,  David Mordie Holland was  born in 1895.  Dr. V.M.  was born in 1918.  If Mordie was 15 in the photo, the year would have been 1910.  They are baling hay.  I did some checking on the internet and the harness on the horse is low and the rod looks like what was used with a hay press"

The man almost dead center on the platform in this photo and  to the viewer's right side of the boy in the hat on the platform .. would be my Great Grandfather Andrew Jackson Holland before he loses eye sight in one of his eyes. The boy beside him would be my Grandfather David Mordie Holland, the father of Dr. V.M. Holland.  Can you identify anyone else in the photo?

My father, Dr. V.M. Hollland, of Fairplay, Texas was born today.

His father was David Mordie Holland. His mother was Louise Allison. Into a farming family in Fairplay, Texas, which is between Carthage, Texas and Henderson, Texas, he was the oldest of five children.

He is shown here with his family in Hobbs, New Mexico, where he was a physician, next to him is his son Frederick Leon Holland, his wife Evangeline Neal Dennard Holland, who is holding his daughter Mary Marie Holland. Dad was 72 when he died. What my mother told me was that he had been working out at the farm at Fairplay clearing a blocked sewage line to a septic tank on a white house where Bob Tatum, who was laying claim to being one of Mother's Dennard relatives,  and his  aging mother were staying. It was a cold October day and dad had gotten back after dark and was sitting in the kitchen drinking hot tea when he died suddenly and quickly in his work overalls and muddy farm boots, in his own home. This blog is dedicated to Dr. V.M. Holland, who grew up in East Texas, traveled around the world in the US Navy during World War II and ended up back in Panola County with the neighbors and family he grew up with during the Great Depression of 20th Century America. He was a young man during WWII and joined what has been called "The Greatest Generation" however, he would have argued with that assessment of his generation.

Sam L. Holland with his brothers and sister at his father's home in Fairplay, Texas

Leland, Sam, Bill and Margarite at Fairplay, TX

Leland Holland , Sam Holland, Bill Holland and Margarite Holland at the home of David M. Holland in Fairplay, TX