The Holly chieftain., 1904-02-19


ences between them and they ucited
their iorces. which had been opposed TO
each othe-. in making Holly The town
that she now is. It is probable that no
citizen OF the town could tell to-day
which men came from Horace and
which from Tribune, and IL is only oc-
casionaliy thar they can De gotten to
talG CT their past scTimmages. As soon
as these warriers. in travelling from the
north, reached the dip il the mesa,
which showed Holly and the promised
| irrigated land. they metaphorically fell
upor each cthers' necks and buried the
hatchet; and as the days go by the
older settlers in Holly become more
and nore thankful that they decided
10 cast iLeir lot with us.
Whel these short grass" citizens OF
| Holly started TO leave Greeley county,
they took up not only their beds aad
their entire household effects, but also
their houses. and walked. The erection
of the building in which Mr. c. J. Nc
Pnerson pow has his store. was started
| in the fall of 1896, but before its COM
pietion Mr.. George Hollis had moved
his store building from Greeley county,
ard was doing business, SO that while
Mr. McPherson's store was the first
building erected in Holly. Mr.. Hollis
store was the first building moved into
Holly and doing business.
| Our Greeley county citizens could
| not move all in body because nearly
each one who came brought with him
| bis store building in which to do busi-
Iess, and his residence in which to live.
For months after the immigration COM
rnenced from one to two houses per day
y ould appear over the rise IL the mesa,
ard the citizen9 who had already ar
,ived would congregate around the
postoffice and wonder whose building
that was. The horizon was watched for
| tuildings as Is the ocean for ships that
are due. At one time all the houses
1 in the townsite except Mr.. McPhersons
store and the Holly hotel had been
moved in On wheels. and even now.
with the exception OF the Ikelman
Bros building, Mr.. McPreson's store
and the Holly hotel. the buildings in
the entire business part OF Holly were
moved in on wheels, except the block
in which stands the Dawley block. and
even In that block Mr. A. l.. Hare's
store wes wheeled IN. When one looks
at the proportions Of the great Chicago
store. it seems almost incredible that
that building was brought from Gree
ley county. Kansas, on wheels. but such
is the fact.
In 1859 an artesian we'll was put
down in Holly which struck first-class
water at about 800 feet. From that
.ine on Holly has been supplied with
drinking water that is second to none
In the valley.
/ In 1900 the Ikelman Brothers, show
ing their confidence in the future OF
the town, started to erect the first per-
narent fire-proof building. This build
ing Is on the southwest corner OF
Fourth and Cheyenne streets. two
stories high, with twenty-five foot
front. constructed Of stone which was
dug from the surrounding quarries.
In this same year 1t was decided that
Prowers county needed fair, where
the farmers could meet and discuss
their successes and failures and show
the results OF their farming. Holly had
no Fair Association and she had no
money to be distributed for prizes. nor
had she any fair grounds to which ad-
mission could be charged, but the In
domitable energy Of the people deter
mined that If fair was the right
thing to have it should be had.
At this time the only organization
for the good OF the community which
existed was the Board of Trade. and a
record of these men should be made
here. They were: S. F. White, presi-
dent; W. M. Wiley, vice president; J.
s. McMurtry, secretary and treasurer;
Fl. A. Pettee, William Gill, A. L. John
son. C. l.. Mcpherson and w. Il. Crow
ley. directors
This body OF men might we'll be a
study for people who are interested In
the building Of towns. as showing what
can be done by few men who have
4 the real interest CT community at
heart. They had no real authority in
taking ONCE and their only influence
for good was that Of moral suasion.
The town had no organization and no
peace officer. Possibly no small town
In the West has ever had more
peaceful life than this town had under
the moral influence Of these men. Oc-
casionally some would-be bad man
would want to set out his shooting
iron, but the simple idea that Holly
stood for every man minding his own
business and interfering with no one
else's. induced him TO quiet down.
This board organized in the interest
Of the farmers the canning factory and
also put under way the operation of a
skimming station, and In fact did all
| that could be done for town Of our
size during their administration. They
controlled the saloons and by their
mora! influence saw that the saloons
of the town were conducted quietly
and properly.
In generations to come. when Holly
will have taken her place among the
| big cities Of tho valley and the rotten
government which usually obtains