"It was a wicked and dangerous thing to do to a child of tender years and health."
- H. H. Holmes, Holmes' Own Story (Larson, 39)
Childhood
Childhood home of Holmes
- Herman Webster Mudgett, was born in 1961 in Gilmanton, New Hampshire.
- Growing up, Holmes was raised in a devout Methodist family.
- Holmes was bullied as a child; having run in’s with bullies who forced him to face death by making him touch a skeleton. "He describes a turning point in his life as the day some older boys forced him into a village doctor's office and face-to-face with a skeleton. "It was a wicked and dangerous thing to do to a child of tender years and health," Holmes says, though he admits that the experience cured him of his fears. He attributes his desire to go into medicine to this memorable incident" (Larson, 39)
- Holmes appeared to very intelligent at an early age.
- Young Holmes sometimes dissecting and surgery on both live and dead animals.
- Holmes married Clara Lovering in 1978; they had one son, Robert Mudgett, in 1880.
Young Life
Holmes' graduation photo
- Holmes attended and graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1884.
- While in university, Holmes was accused of stealing bodies, maiming them, and collected the deceased insurance policies.
- After graduation, Holmes moved to Chicago to work in the field of pharmaceuticals. He also perused real estate and promotional deals under an alias, H. H. Holmes.
- Holmes married Myrta Belknap in 1887 while still married to Clara Lovering; they had a daughter, Lucy, in 1889.
- Holmes then lived with Myrta and Lucy in Illinois, and spent most of his time in Chicago.
- Holmes then married Georgiana Yoke, his third wife, in 1984.
Quote/Excerpt Explanation
I chose the opening quote because it revealed the turning point in Holmes' life that opened him up to his fascination with death. From that moment on, Holmes embraced this interest and began capturing and dissecting small animals at a young age. In today's standards, this is a huge sign of Antisocial Personality Disorder, which indicates the characteristics of a sociopath.