The Town of Holly is a statutory town in Prowers County in southeastern

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, United States, near the

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

border. Located four miles (6 km) from the

border at an elevation of , Holly is the lowest elevation town in Colorado. The town population was 837 at the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

History

Early history

Holly was settled as a ranching community, and the town was incorporated in 1903. The town was named for Hiram S. Holly, a local cattleman. Hiram S. Holly moved to the town in 1871, and brought 1,300 cattle with him. Holly's ranch, the SS Ranch or Double S Ranch, was the first settlement in the area. The

Holly SS Ranch Barn The Holly SS Ranch Barn, or Double S Ranch Barn, at 407 West Vinson in Holly, Colorado, was built in 1879. It is located south of the railroad tracks on the south side of Holly. It was built for rancher Hiram S. Holly who settled in the area whic ...

, a stone barn built in 1879, survives and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. The original stone ranch house also survives, nearby, but is not listed. ()

Holly Sugar

Holly Sugar was created in the town in 1905 just in time for the sugarbeet harvest that year. The production was so successful the company quickly looked to expand to other communities. By 1911, Holly Sugar had expanded outside the State of Colorado. The company has long since left the Holly community. In 1988, Holly Sugar merged with Imperial Sugar.

2007 Holly tornado

2011 Jensen Farms listeriosis outbreak

Geography

Holly is located at (38.054520, -102.125398). At the

, the town had a total area of including of water.

Climate

The Köppen Climate system classifies the weather as

semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...

, abbreviated as ''BSk''.Climate Summary for Holly, Colorado
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Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 1,048 people, 369 households, and 250 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 449 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 75.10%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.38% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 23.66% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 35.97% of the population. There were 369 households, out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.36. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $24,917, and the median income for a family was $31,979. Males had a median income of $23,000 versus $21,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $14,246. About 21.7% of families and 27.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 37.5% of those under age 18 and 20.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

Holly is the hometown of former

Governor Roy Romer, who moved there as an infant from his birthplace of Garden City, Kansas. Romer is also a former chairman of the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well ...

and a longtime supporter of

former A former is an object, such as a template, gauge or cutting die, which is used to form something such as a boat's hull. Typically, a former gives shape to a structure that may have complex curvature. A former may become an integral part of the ...

U.S. President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

. Donald Wagner (September 24, 1918 to February 8, 2004) lived in Holly area from the time he was 3 years old. Serving on the school board, he was instrumental in getting the Holly Jr Sr High School built in the 1960s. Well-known evangelist A.A. Allen pastored a church in Holly for several years beginning in 1936.

Gallery

Holly, CO, welcome sign IMG 5795.JPG, Holly welcome sign. Holly, CO, spruce tree IMG 5797.JPG, A

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfam ...

tree, not a holly tree, in Holly, Colorado. First Christian Church, Holly, CO IMG 5800.JPG, First Christian Church in Holly. First United Methodist Church in Holly, CO IMG 5802.JPG, First

United Methodist The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

Church in Holly is located across the highway from First Christian Church.

References

External links

Town of Holly websiteCDOT map of the Town of Holly
{{authority control Towns in Prowers County, Colorado Towns in Colorado Colorado populated places on the Arkansas River