Holliday: A Community Rooted in History

  

The Village of Holliday has been home to generations of families whose contributions have helped shape the community into what it is today. Many residents were born and raised in the village, while others moved to Holliday and became longtime members of the community.

Current village residents who were born in Holliday include Murline Levings, Michelle Levings, Gloria Deaver, Anita Kirtlink, Sara Kean, LaVonda Nickell, Guy Callison, Sherry Lair, Stacie McGee, Chris Akers, Joni Wilkerson, Jennifer Wilkerson, Larry Ragsdale, Jake Sanner, Thomas Sanner, Abigail Hendren, and Jayden Crawford.

Brenda Coffman was born in Holliday and later moved north. Sam McGee and Tony McGee were born in the surrounding community and later made their homes in the village.

Other longtime village residents include Jane Akers, Sandy Callison, Brenda McGee, Corey and Kerri Hendren, Margaret Ragsdale, Jerry and Zelma Jo Ragsdale, Deanna Wilkerson, Faye Adams, Ronnie and Renee Bridgeman, Bill Robertson, Robbie Kean, the Dawson family, Mike Moore, David Pence, Angelia Baker, Richard Berrey, Richard Deaver, Larry Nickell, Joeanne McGee, Brody Lehenbauer, and Chandler Crawford.

Longtime community families include the Miller, Houston, Crain, Unterbrink, VanLandingham, Ensor, Morgan, Ransdell, Freeman, Coffman, Wilson, Smothers, Boillot, and Callison families, along with Andy and Sara Callison, the Mitchell family, the Davis family, Dusty McGee, Aaron Shatzer, Eric Kirtlink, and many others.

Throughout Holliday's history, many individuals and families have left a lasting impact on the community. Among them were Ralph and Mildred Howe, with Mildred serving as a teacher; Essie and Josie Durbin, who operated the local telephone office; Harry and Edith Smith, who operated a blacksmith shop, convenience store, and pool hall; Gladys Clay, a longtime school cook; and Kenneth Levings, who owned and operated a sawmill.

Other family names that have been part of Holliday's history include Menefee, Olney, Blackaby, Farrell, Blackburn, Hartman, Pilkington, Stickney, Jackson, Dickerson, VanSkyke, Fifer, Danner, Woods, Dry, Treece, Shrader, Johnson, Orr, Thompson, Foster, Curtright, Hawkins, Moore, Hultz, Sparks, Dierling, Delaney, Holsheiser, Galvin, Clements, Jones, Halliburton, Secoy, Harrison, Blades, McCullom, Long, Adams, Shoemate, Appleman, Arnold, Buffington, Huisman, Stamp, Graupman, Gillette, Solomon, Brooks, Smelser, Bailey, Snodgrass, Zinser, Gilbert, Burnett, Houchins, Crim, White, and McCreery.

These families and countless others helped build the foundation of Holliday. While many have moved away over the years, they still proudly refer to Holliday as home. Their legacy continues through the generations who remain connected to this close-knit community and its rich history.

Between the years 1870 and 1874, the Tebo and Neosho Railroad Company built a railroad from Sedalia to Hannibal, which went through Holliday. 

After the railroad depot was moved into Holliday, the town quickly attracted people due to its rich farmland and abundance of timber. This sparked the growth of several essential early businesses.

President Martin Van Buren's gave a land grant to the Holliday brothers in the Missouri Territory. Van Buren granted land to promote settlement and development in the Missouri Territory. The Holliday brothers were influential figures in the region, contributing to its growth. This land grant was part of broader efforts to encourage westward expansion during the 19th century. The grant aimed to establish a stable agricultural community in the territory. It reflected the government's policy of incentivizing private investment in frontier lands. The Holliday brothers' settlement efforts helped shape the local economy and infrastructure.

Ed Mitchell bought land from the Holliday brothers, which remains in the family today. They are one of the last families to still have land from the Holliday brothers. Eddie Mitchell is the fourth generation to own this farm.

The earliest establishment of Holliday was The Holliday Brothers General Store, which was the very first building erected in the town, a dry goods and general store operated by founders W.H. Holliday and his brother Thompson Holliday. The First Hotel was opened by early settler William Singleton, who moved to the area from Macon County, opened Holliday’s first hotel to accommodate travelers coming off the newly routed train line.

The town of Holliday was at one time an important shipping point for cattle, sheep, and hogs, which were shipped from this point three or four times a week. Some early buyers were Billy Holder, A.D. Deaver, D.H. Barke, Joel Brown, William Barker, Cud Engle, and Casey Jones.

According to Public Records, the original town of Holliday was located one and one-half miles east of the present site, and was established in 1872. It consisted of a railroad station and a general store, operated by a Mr. Foster. It was called Foster’s Station. In 1876, the town was moved to its present location, on land given by Mr. William, Mr. John, and Mr. Thompson Holliday, and its name was changed to Holliday, in their honor. The southern boundary was at what was the Smith Welding Shop; the east boundary was Main Street; the northern boundary was the lot now owned and occupied by Josie and Essie Durbin; and the western boundary extended to the Bethel Cemetery on the north side of the railroad track, but only to the Henry Solomon property on the south side of the track. The first house was built on the lot where Josie and Essie Durbin now live. This was Lot #1, House #1. Other houses built at that time were on the lot where Chet Goldia now lives, the former Eula Ragsdale lot, now owned by David Farrell, and the lot now owned by Mrs. May Hughes. It is believed that the former Earl Smith house, now owned by Paul Rockett, is the oldest in town. The town boundaries were enlarged by several additions of land. The first was in 1878 and was known as the Henry Glasscock addition. An addition in 1886 included the former J.A. Wilson property, now owned by Dennis Dickerson, and extended west to include the Charlie Overfelt property, now owned by Lloyd McCollum. A second Glasscock addition in 1888 extended the southern boundary to the south side of the Herbert Halliburton and Maude Hill properties. Another addition took the town to the northeast, to annex the land where Johnny Ragsdale now lives. In 1902, the James Blades addition was made. It was the lot on which the school building is now located. The properties of Clyde Ragsdale in the east part of the town, and those of Roland Norman, Leonard Carnes, Justus Olney, and Ralph Howe in the south edge of town were not made part of the city limits until the late 1950’s. The house owned and occupied by Mrs. Ruth Curtright was built in 1901 by her father, J.M. Blades, and was the first house on what is now South Main Street. The second house was built in 1904 by Willis Cunningham, father of Mrs. Madge Curtright, and is now owned by David Menefee. Other houses on South Main Street built before 1910 are the Sam Akers and Ralph Howe homes.

Holliday had two banks, the first one was burnt in a fire, and the second one closed its doors in 1929 without any notice. The 

The Callison Family started the Holliday Farm Service in 1963 on the site of the old stockyards on the east side. He tore down a building in St Louis for the lumber to build the farm service. 

The first school in Holliday burned in 1923, and the second school, which was built, still stands and is still open today. The school started from first through twelfth. In 1941, they started to send students to local high schools after 8th grade. Leon Freeman, the oldest bus driver for Holliday, will be at the Holliday School for presentations on June 27th. 

According to Michelle Levings, as of June 8, there are close to 65 vendors, and adding more: 36 10 x 10, 11 10x20, 2 10 x 30, and 6 food trucks, 59 or 53 and 6 food trucks, tentatively; plus 6 non-profit and other activities will be there on June 27.  Visitors are coming from different states to participate in this anniversary celebration. I know of at least three: California, Florida, and Indiana.