Holly, Colorado Explained

Holly, Colorado
Settlement Type:Statutory Town[1]
Mapsize:250px
Pushpin Map:USA
Pushpin Label:Holly
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of the Town of Holly in the
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Prowers County
Government Type:Statutory Town
Established Title2:Incorporated (town)
Established Date2:September 4, 1903[2]
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[3]
Area Total Km2:1.8763
Area Land Km2:1.8737
Area Water Km2:0.0026
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:837
Population Density Sq Mi:1,157
Timezone1:MST
Utc Offset1:−07:00
Timezone1 Dst:MDT
Utc Offset1 Dst:−06:00
Coordinates:38.055°N -102.1261°W
Elevation Ft:3396
Postal Code Type:ZIP code[4]
Postal Code:81047
Area Code:719
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:08-37215
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:2412764

Holly is a statutory town in Prowers County in southeastern Colorado, United States. The town is located west of the Kansas border at an elevation of 3393feet. Despite having the lowest elevation of any Colorado municipality, Holly is higher than the high points of 19 states and the District of Columbia. The town population was 837 at the 2020 United States Census.[3]

History

Early history

Holly was settled as a ranching community, and the town was incorporated in 1903.[5] The town was named for Hiram S. Holly, a local cattleman.[6] 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.[7] The Holly SS Ranch Barn, a stone barn built in 1879, survives and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The original stone ranch house also survives, nearby, but is not listed.[8]

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.[9]

2007 Holly tornado

See main article: Late-March 2007 Tornado Outbreak.

2011 Jensen Farms listeriosis outbreak

See main article: 2011 United States listeriosis outbreak.

Geography

At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 1.8763km2 including 0.0026km2 of water.[3]

Climate

The Köppen Climate system classifies the weather as semi-arid, abbreviated as BSk.[10]

Demographics

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 1,048 people, 369 households, and 250 families residing in the town. The population density was 1388.5sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 449 housing units at an average density of 594.9sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 75.10% White, 0.38% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 23.66% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 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 for the town was $14,246. About 21.7% of families and 27.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.5% of those under age 18 and 20.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

Holly is the hometown of Roy Romer who moved there as an infant from his birthplace of Garden City, Kansas. Romer served as the 39th Governor of Colorado from 1987 to 1999, and subsequently as the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2000 to 2006.

Private Elmer M. Gideon, USA, was born and raised near Holly. He was in the 29th Div, 116th Infantry, Company I. Private Gideon landed on Omaha Beach on June 12th, 1944, and died under sniper around August 6th, near St Lo. France.[12]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Active Colorado Municipalities. Colorado Department of Local Affairs. December 24, 2021.
  2. Web site: Colorado Municipal Incorporations . State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives . December 1, 2004 . September 2, 2007.
  3. Web site: QuickFacts for Colorado. United States Census Bureau. December 24, 2021.
  4. Web site: ZIP Code Lookup . . . October 5, 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101104123722/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp . November 4, 2010 .
  5. Web site: Holly, Colorado . City-Data.com. July 13, 2012.
  6. Book: Dawson, John Frank. Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co.. Denver, CO. 26.
  7. Web site: Holly. The Official Site of Colorado Tourism. July 14, 2012.
  8. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Registration: Holly SS Ranch Barn / Double S Ranch Barn / 5PW192 . National Archives . Troy R.Tengwall . May 30, 2003 . December 19, 2020 .
  9. Web site: Imperial Sugar Company -- Company History. Funding Universe . September 19, 2009.
  10. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=745302&cityname=Holly%2C+Colorado%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Holly, Colorado
  11. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  12. https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/8683186/29er-magazine-index-29th-division-association#google_vignette