The Thomas and Elizabeth Cahoe Family Bible no longer exists (that we are aware of). All that is left are the three pages of family records.
In the late 1990s or early 2000s, I scanned (in low quality, unfortunately) three loose pages from the Cahoe Bible. They were tucked into a large, modern Bible that belonged to my grandmother, Imogene Cahoe Stone (1918–2004). She was the daughter of Patsie Edward Cahoe, whose birth is included in the records, as he was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth.
Grandma pointed out that the births had been altered. She said that a Cahoe sister (Pearl, I think) changed it to make herself seem younger than she was. Regardless of the reason, it has clearly been altered with what looks like a blue ballpoint pen.
The entries in the records are all in the same hand. I believe it is the handwriting of Rachel Cahoe, as Thomas Cahoe’s signature doesn’t match.
The entries also seem to have all been made at the same time, as they are uniform in appearance. If the events were recorded as they happened, there would be variation in the pen, ink, or hand used. This means that it is a snapshot of the Cahoe family at a certain point in time.
The family record was created at some point after the death of Viola M. Cahoe in May 1889 and before the first marriage of the family, that of John Thomas Cahoe in Oct 1896. So, the Bible was probably bought, and the records were completed between 1889 and 1896. The family was living in Watseka, Illinois, at that time.
The Holman Bible
An internet search yielded an exact match for the record pages in an 1890 edition of The Parallel Bible, Pronouncing Edition, for sale on eBay. The fourteen-pound bible for sale includes over 2000 illustrations, some in color, and is four inches thick. It is a “Holman Bible,” published by A. J. Holman Company in Philadelphia.
The Holman Bibles were sold by travelling salesmen. The salesmen didn’t work directly for Holman, and the company that they worked for was listed as the publisher. You can tell a Holman Bible by the “Light of the World” logo on the title page.
These salesmen carried sample books that showed the different bindings and samples of the inside content to the customer. The customer could choose from several models. Each upgrade included more features and an upgraded binding. Prices went up according to the customer’s choices. Metal closures could be added for an additional charge.
All versions of the Holman Bible included the family record pages, so it is impossible to know which version the Cahoe family bought. Prices ranged from about $5 to $12, which would be about $135 to $325 in today’s dollars (2019).