Holly

Holly, Buddy, 1936-59, American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, b. Lubbock, Tex., as Charles Hardin Holley. He performed country and western music while a teenager, but influenced by black rhythm and blues and by Elvis Presley he switched to the rock 'n' roll in the mid-1950s. His band, the Crickets, was one of the first to use the instrumentation that became the rock standard: two guitars, bass, and drums. Holly's sweet tenor with its frequent hiccuping hesitations, his melodic songs, and the group's innovative studio work set them apart from other early bands. They scored their first hit with "That'll Be the Day" (1957), which as followed by "Peggy Sue" and "Oh Boy" (1957) and "Maybe Baby" and "Rave On" (1958). Holly left the Crickets in 1958, but his promising solo career ended when he died in a plane crash while on tour. Killed with him were two other popular young rockers, Richie Valens and J. P. Richardson (the Big Bopper). Holly, who influenced many in later generations of rock artists, was among the first group of musicians inducted (1986) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

holly, common name for members of the Aquifoliaceae, a family of widely distributed trees and shrubs, most numerous in Central and South America. The evergreen English holly (Ilex aquifolium), the common holly of Europe, cultivated also in North America, is closely associated with Christmas tradition. The American holly (I. opaca), native to the E United States, is very similar; both are so popular for their decorative spiny leaves and red berries that they are becoming scarce. The hard white wood of both species is used for cabinetmaking and related purposes; it is close grained and polishes easily. Maté, Yerba maté, or Paraguay tea (I. paraguariensis) is very important commercially in S South America as the source of a popular tealike beverage. Guayusa (I. guayusa) is similarly important in Ecuador. Teas and medicinal preparations are also made from some other members of the family, e.g., yaupon and winterberry, or feverbush, both of E North America. Wild or mountain holly (Nemopanthus mucronata) is a deciduous shrub of E North America. Many species of this family are cultivated as ornamentals. Holly is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Celastrales, family Aquifoliaceae.

Any of the brown algae that make up the genus Sargassum. They are adapted for a free-floating tropical environment, even though many species grow attached to rocks along the coast. The Sargasso Sea, a free-floating mass of seaweed (mostly S. natans), occurs in the Atlantic Ocean. Sargassums are also known as sea holly because of their highly branched stems with hollow, berrylike floats and many leaflike, sawtooth-edged blades. They are used as fertilizer in New Zealand and as a component of soups and soy sauce in Japan.

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Any of approximately 400 species of red- or black-berried ornamental shrubs and trees that make up the genus Ilex (family Aquifoliaceae), including the popular Christmas hollies. English holly (I. aquifolium) bears shiny, spiny, dark, evergreen leaves; American holly (I. opaca) has oblong, prickly leaves; both have usually red fruits. There are spineless and yellow-fruited forms of both species.

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orig. Charles Hardin Holley

(born Sept. 7, 1936, Lubbock, Texas, U.S.—died Feb. 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa) U.S. singer and songwriter. He played in country music bands while in high school. Later switching to rock and roll (see rock music), Holly and his band, the Crickets, had hits in 1957 with songs such as “That'll Be the Day,” “Peggy Sue,” and “Oh, Boy!” Holly died at age 22 in a plane crash, along with the singers Richie Valens (b. 1941) and The Big Bopper (Jape Richardson, b. 1930). He left behind many recordings that were released posthumously, and he soon attained legendary stature; he was part of the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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(born Sept. 10, 1892, Wooster, Ohio, U.S.—died March 15, 1962, Berkeley, Calif.) U.S. physicist. He taught at the University of Chicago (1923–45) and later served as chancellor (1945–54) and professor (1953–61) at Washington University. He is best known for his discovery and explanation of the Compton effect, for which he shared with C.T.R. Wilson the 1927 Nobel Prize for Physics. He was later instrumental in initiating the Manhattan Project, and he directed the development of the first nuclear reactors.

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orig. Charles Hardin Holley

(born Sept. 7, 1936, Lubbock, Texas, U.S.—died Feb. 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa) U.S. singer and songwriter. He played in country music bands while in high school. Later switching to rock and roll (see rock music), Holly and his band, the Crickets, had hits in 1957 with songs such as “That'll Be the Day,” “Peggy Sue,” and “Oh, Boy!” Holly died at age 22 in a plane crash, along with the singers Richie Valens (b. 1941) and The Big Bopper (Jape Richardson, b. 1930). He left behind many recordings that were released posthumously, and he soon attained legendary stature; he was part of the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Learn more about Holly, Buddy with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born Sept. 10, 1892, Wooster, Ohio, U.S.—died March 15, 1962, Berkeley, Calif.) U.S. physicist. He taught at the University of Chicago (1923–45) and later served as chancellor (1945–54) and professor (1953–61) at Washington University. He is best known for his discovery and explanation of the Compton effect, for which he shared with C.T.R. Wilson the 1927 Nobel Prize for Physics. He was later instrumental in initiating the Manhattan Project, and he directed the development of the first nuclear reactors.

Learn more about Compton, Arthur (Holly) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Holly is a Statutory Town in Prowers County, Colorado, United States, near the Kansas border. Located four miles (6 km) from the Kansas border at an elevation of , Holly is both the easternmost and the lowest town in Colorado. The population was 1,048 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Holly is located at (38.054520, -102.125398).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (1.9 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,048 people, 369 households, and 250 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,388.5 people per square mile (539.5/km²). There were 449 housing units at an average density of 594.9/sq mi (231.1/km²). 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.

History

Early Holly

It began in 1871, the stone ranch house and barn, known as the SS Ranch. Mr. Hiram S. Holly, for whom the town was named, had served with the Twenty-Eighth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and after his discharge, he eventually arrived in Eastern Colorado with 1300 head of mixed cattle.

The ranch changed hands in 1883 when Mr. Holly and his partners sold it to an English Company under the name of the Arkansas Land and Cattle Company. The ranch eventually grew to be one of the largest cattle ranches in the West, encompassing nearly of land.

Back in the early days, ranch headquarters acted as community centers, not only for those employed at the ranch, but also for neighboring homesteads. The centers not only provided many services, but in many cases, sold supplies and food. The SS Ranch was one of these community centers, or service centers, that grew to be the small town of Holly. The ranch house and barn are still standing in Holly.

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

On March 28, 2007, an EF3 tornado struck the city. Many of the houses in Holly, and some outside of town, were completely demolished. 29-year-old Holly resident Rosemary Rosales was killed as a result of injuries she sustained during the tornado. 76 year-old Delores Burns later died from her injuries one month after. Homes in Holly sustained considerable damage. Approximately 160 homes suffered at least some damage with 50 homes ruled unfit to live in. State Farm Insurance estimated their company alone would have to pay out more than $2,000,000 in claims.

Notable residents

Holly is the hometown of former Colorado Governor Roy Romer, who moved to Holly at six months old, from his birthplace of Garden City, Kansas.

See also

References

External links

• Town of Holly contacts
• CDOT map of the Town of Holly