1820		Reuben Holmes was born to Peter and Olive Graves Holmes in West Bolyston, Massachusetts, on December 26th.
1831		Moved to Paxton, Massachusetts, to learn the tanning trade from his sister Olive’s husband, David Harrington.
1833		Family moved to wilderness of Michigan.
Ca 1838		Reuben moved back to Massachusetts with his ill mother. Settled in Hopkinton Spring.
Ca 1840s		Established a farm; used profits to go into business with a partner who ran a grain store in Westboro, Massachusetts.
1845-58		Taught Sunday school to boys at the Lyman School (Westboro State Reform School), the nation’s first reform school.
1848		Married Rebecca Winch.
1852		Daughter, Abbie Mandana Holmes, was born on January 28th.
1855-56		Appointed Westboro Fence Viewer and Sealer of Weights and Measures.
1857		Economic depression depleted economic resources of the family. Family moved to the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, where Reuben found work. Reuben and Rebecca became involved in abolition efforts in Worcester.
1860		Reuben patented two inventions: a wheel-and-paddle-driven butter churn and a rubber-covered clothes ringer. Second daughter, Georgiana Rebecca Holmes, was born.
1862		Reuben obtained work as a traveling salesman in New Jersey. The family home in Worcester burned during his absence. Reuben moved the family to New Jersey.
1864		Reuben and Rebecca volunteered to take part in a missionary experiment at Port Royal, South Carolina. Reuben moved and Rebecca stayed behind with the children. After suffering from typhoid fever, Reuben briefly returned to the North. During the fall of 1864, the whole family relocated to Port Royal.
1867		Rebecca was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in New York City during the summer.
1868		Reuben was appointed a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1868.
1868		Rebecca died in Bellevue Hospital, New York City, on February 27th.
1869		Married Charlotte Keith, a missionary teacher from Massachusetts. They had two daughters, Almeda (Alma) and Charlotte (Lottie).
Ca 1870		Founded the town of Almeda, South Carolina.
Ca 1874		Charlotte Keith died.
Ca 1874		Married Sarah Keith, Charlotte’s sister.
1906		Died in Providence, Rhode Island, on January 30th.

1824		Rebecca Winch was born to James and Sally (Kilbourn) Winch in Holden, Massachusetts.
ca 1840		Attended Leicester Academy, a prestigious co-educational school in Massachusetts, founded just after the American Revolution. Upon completing educational training, Rebecca became a teacher.
1848		Married Reuben Holmes.
1852		Abbie Mandana Holmes was born on January 28th.
1860		Georgiana Rebecca Holmes was born.
1867		Rebecca admitted to Bellevue Hospital in New York City during the summer.
1868		Rebecca died at Bellevue Hospital on February 27th.

1840		Born on January 31st in Denmark to Frederik and Marie Baker Kristensen.
1862		Niels immigrated to America where he enlisted in the Union Army as a private in the 145th New York Infantry of Volunteers.
1864		Niels mustered out on January 14th and was honorably discharged as 1st sergeant at Tullahoma, Tennessee. Mustered into service on February 23rd as a private of Company B, 102nd New York Infantry Volunteers. Honorably discharged as sergeant on December 29th at Savannah, Georgia.
1865		Mustered into service on January 19th as captain, Company H, 44th United States Colored Infantry. During the year, Niels was stationed in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Huntsville, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; and Nashville, Tennessee.
1866		Mustered out on April 30th and honorably discharged as captain.
1865-66		Passed examination and received appointment to serve as captain in the 44th U.S. Colored Infantry. Served in Alabama and Tennessee.
1867-1870		Served in peacetime army at Fort Wayne in Detroit, Michigan. Honorably discharged as sergeant major.
1870-76		Passed civil service exam and accepted position as keeper of the National Cemetery in Beaufort, South Carolina. Cared for graves of more than 8,000 black and white Union soldiers.
Ca 1876		Founded hardware store/lumber yard and became a general contractor in Beaufort, South Carolina.
1878		Niels, a Republican, was chosen by Democrat Wade Hampton to serve as Commissioner of Elections for Beaufort County.
1886		Niels elected Acting Intendant at Beaufort, South Carolina.
1895		Diagnosed with Bright’s Disease.
1909		Niels died on February 4th. He had been in declining health for several months.

1852		Abbie Mandana Holmes was born on January 28th to Reuben and Rebecca Holmes in Westboro, Massachusetts.
1864		Abbie moved with her family to Beaufort, South Carolina.
1866-68		Abbie attended Ipswich Female Seminary in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
1868		Rebecca Holmes died on February 27th in Bellevue Hospital.
1870		Abbie commenced work as a teacher in an African American school in Beaufort.
1872-74		Attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, Massachusetts.
1874		Returned to Beaufort after stepmother’s death. Met Niels Christensen. First folklore tale published in The Springfield Daily Republican on June 2nd: “De Wolf, De Rabbit An’ De Tar Baby.” Second story, “The Story Aunt Tilda Told,” was published in the New York Independent on November 5th.
1875		Married Niels Christensen on April 13th in Beaufort’s Charles Street Baptist Church. Published “A Story-teller” on October 28, 1875. Published “The Rabbit, the Wolf, and the Keg of Butter” on November 18, 1875.
1876		Gave birth to Niels Christensen, Jr. on April 21. Published “The Rabbit Desires a Long Tail” on March 9, 1876; “The Reason Why Brother Rabbit Wears a Short Tail” was published on June 1, 1876.
1877		Gave birth to Frederik Holmes Christensen on December 9th. Published “The Rabbit and the Wolf Plant Potatoes and Hunt Honey” on November 1st.
1880		Gave birth to James (Jamie) Winch Christensen on September 5th.
1882		Arthur Olaf Christensen was born. Abbie inherited $17,000 from deceased uncle, Alden Winch, former director of the American News Company of New York.
1883-84		Used a portion of inheritance to help establish interdenominational “Union” church in Beaufort named the Carteret Street Church.
1884		Gave birth to Andrea Rebecca Christensen.
1885		Jamie Christensen died of diphtheria. Buried at the National Cemetery. Carteret Street Church construction completed.
Ca 1886		Developed an interest in “Mind Cure.”
1887		Gave birth to Abbie Winch (“Winnie”) Christensen on January 28th.
1888		Joined the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Around same time, Abbie became involved in the suffrage movement.
1890-92		Abbie was elected to board of directors of Women’s Temperance Publishing Association.
1892		Afro-American Folk Lore Told Round Cabin Fires on the Sea Islands of Georgia was published.
1893		Hurricane hit Beaufort; Abbie became involved in relief efforts from Boston.
1900 –01		Port Royal Agricultural School was founded. Abbie assumed role on administrative board.
1902		Port Royal Agricultural School received its charter.
1928		Abbie began participating in the Rosicrucian Order of Christian Mystics through correspondence courses.
1932		Named Elector at Large for the Socialist Party in South Carolina as delegate for presidential candidate Norman Thomas.
1938		On September 21st, Abbie died at daughter Andrea’s home in Greenville, South Carolina, after a brief illness.