George A. Holmes, attorney and counsellor at law, Council Bluffs, is one of the leading members of the bar of this city and one of its representative citizens. He became established here in his profession in December, 1873. He has been continuously alone in practice, and has occupied his present office at 332 Broadway during all the years of his residence here.

Mr. Holmes is a native of Illinois, born in Tazewell County, that State, in 1849. His father, George W. Holmes, was a pioneer of that county, and a native of Charleston, West Virginia. The mother of the subject of this notice, formerly Sarah A. Allen, was born in Schenectady, New York. Her mother dying when she was an infant, she was adopted into the family of Flavel Bascom, and taken by her adopted parents to the town of Groveland, Tazewell County, Illinois.

George W. Holmes and wife are now residents of Council Bluffs. The former is a builder and millwright by trade. James W. Holmes, the eldest brother of the subject of this notice, is a resident of Tulare County, California; he has a family of six sons, Henry H. Holmes, the second brother, is a resident of Council Bluffs. George A. is the next in order of birth, and a sister, Mrs. Laura A. Riddle, is the next. Fountain B. died in Council Bluffs, in 1878; he left no family. Charles T. Holmes, the youngest of the brothers, is also a resident of Council Bluffs. A sister, Emily, died in Page County, Iowa, at the age of about thirteen years. George W. Holmes removed to Iowa in 1857, and settled in Page County, and in 1862 the entire family went overland to California, and after a three years' sojourn on the Pacific Coast returned to Iowa.

The subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools of Page County. He early conceived the idea of becoming a lawyer, and after acquiring, by earnest industry, sufficient education to enable him to teach a common school, he engaged in that occupation. He began the study of law at home. His first law book was a copy of Blackstone. He also obtained and carefully read Kent's Commentaries, Walker's American Law and Greenleaf on Evidence; these four books constituted his law library when he began his professional career in Council Bluffs in 1873. He was a student in the office of Messrs. Moor & McIntyre at Clarinda for a few months, and was admitted in that city in 1872. Mr. Holmes began his professional life in quite a modest way. His receipts for the first four months of his professional career were $2.45, not a very auspicious beginning for the young lawyer, but he applied himself unremittingly to his profession, and ere long he enjoyed the success which ever comes from honest labor.

In 1875 Mr. Holmes was made City Attorney, and continued to occupy that position uninterruptedly for fourteen years, or until 1889. He performed the duties of that position with marked ability, as is indicated by the long series of years that he occupied that office. Politically Mr. Holmes affiliates with the Democratic Party, but was frequently appointed to the office of City Attorney by Republican councils. He was twice a candidate for Legislative honors, but, the county being largely Republican, he was defeated by a small majority. Mr. Holmes is not only an able lawyer, but a progressive and public spirited citizen, ever taking a commendable interest in whatever tends to promote the best interests of the public.