Col. John Holbrook Estill was born October 28, 1840 in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1851, he moved with his father William Estill to Savannah, Georgia. William was a bookbinder, bookseller and printer and Estill became involved in his father's printing business at a young age. When Estill was eleven years old he started working in the office of the Evening Journal. During the Civil War, Estill served as a private in the Confederate Army and was wounded at the First Battle of Manassas. Following his recovery he served as a captain in the lst Volunteer Regiment of Georgia. Following the war, he returned to his work in Savannah, where he became the proprietor of the Savannah Morning News. Estill was actively involved in the community serving as County Commissioner for 12 years and on the Board of Education for 22 years. He had a variety of business interests including serving as president of the Chatham Real Estate Improvement Company, the Bonaventure Cemetery Company, and the Inland Water Association. From at least 1887 until 1892, Estill was involved with the Tybee Beach Company, serving as its director in 1887 and 1891. Estill died November 9, 1907 in Savannah.
From the description of John Holbrook Estill indenture and statement, 1885, 1902. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 47105299
