The Greene County Library and Historical Society says, "No name in the annals of Springfield and of Greene county, occupies a more enviable position than that of Colley B. Holland; and no history of either city or county would be complete without a sketch of his life and work."
Mr. Holland, like a large majority of the pioneers of this region, was a native of Tennessee, born in 1816. Early in life he was determined to learn some good trade, and having chosen that of tailoring he applied himself to it with earnestness until he had mastered it in all its details. He was married to his boyhood's sweetheart, Miss Emeline Bigbee, the daughter of a neighbor close to his home. At the age of twenty-five, in the year of 1841, he was seeking a wider field of his own work efforts and moved to Springfield and opened a tailor shop. The 1840 Greene County census had a population of 5,372. Holland's life for the next few years was busy and successful as he grew his tailor business and became known in the community. The office of the recorder of deeds show that from time to time he was putting his earnings into real estate. It would be safe to say that Holland never bought a piece of realty on which he lost money. With all of his other interests he found time to do his part in public matters. he was a bank director, postmaster, and in 1859, he turned his attention to education and helped establish the Springfield Male Academy.
In the spring of 1861, the storm of war between the states struck the land, and Springfield, holding a position that was strategic because of its commerce became a center of strife. Holland openly declared himself a Union man and was one of the first to volunteer after Fort Sumter was fired upon. As a young man he had served as a non-commissioned officer in the Florida Seminole War. He was made captain of Company D, in the famous Phelps Regiment in the summer of 1861. It is unknown if he took part in the Battle of Wilson's Creek but he was in the great engagement at Pea Ridge, Arkansas. Holland was promoted to lieutenant colonel, then colonel and finally Governor Gamble appointed him brigadier general of the Missouri Militia in October 1862. The Battle of Springfield, 1863, was a high point in his military career. The battle was fought and won, and Springfield's vast stores of military supplies were saved for the federal army.
After the war he jumped in to heal the wounds of war and to rehabilitate the little city that was his home. He took part in the financial and manufacturing interest of the area. He organized the Springfield Cotton Mill and in 1875, with his two sons, established the Holland Banking Company. This institution proved to be the greatest of all his successful ventures. And so, known and honored by our community, Colley B. Holland drew near the end of his long and useful life. At 85, an old man and full of years of service to our area.
In order to find the final location of the multi-cache first you will need to visit the Holland graves in Hazelwood Cemetery. Three large grave markers contain all the information you need to get the numbers to complete the final coordinates. Good Luck and Have Fun!
DAYLIGHT HOURS ONLY
N37 10. ABC W093 DE FGH
A= General Holland was born August ___4th.
B= The month the General was born is the ___ month of the year.
C= Directly below Gen. Holland's birth and death dates is a single word with larger letters. How many letters in this word? ____
D= T.B. Holland is the son of General Holland and his grave is a large flat stone. T.B. was born on January ____.
E= T.B. was born in 183____.
F= Find the grave of Emeline Holland the General's wife. She died on March, 16, 189____.
G= How many times is the word God used on her grave under her birth and death dates.
H= The inscription says, "God in His wisdom has __________. How many letters in this word.
Thank you for your visit to these impressive graves. Hope you had fun and learned some Springfield history,