Lon Holladay

On April 12, 1901, the three School Board members of Tucson School District 1 met at the clerk’s office at Safford School. The time was 4 p.m.

The trustees had gathered to consider the drawings of architect H. S. Trost for two new school buildings and plans from architects Forbes and Nevins for a third. It was a momentous meeting, since the trustees were considering the most ambitious building program ever envisioned by any previous Board.

“I move,” said one member who also served as clerk of the Board, “that we accept these plans and I further move that the new schools be named ’Davis,’ ‘Holladay,’ and ‘Drachman.’”

The motion was passed immediately and unanimously by the Board members--William C. Davis, Leonidas (Lon) Holladay and Samuel H. Drachman. Drachman had made the motion and Davis seconded it. Davis, elected the month before to replace Thomas F. Wilson, had been on the Board but a few days.

At the April 12, 1901, meeting the Board decided that one school would be located in the southwest part of the city, one would be placed in the northwest and one on the east side. The Drachman School was to be built in the southwest at Convent and 1 8th Street; the Davis School would be located in the northwest at St. Mary’s Road and Granada; and the Holladay School was to be in the east, at First Avenue and Seventh Street--the present site of Tucson High School.

Holladay School originally had four rooms. In 1908, four more were added and a single room was constructed in 1918.

The building was demolished in 1923 to make way for the new Tucson High School.

Leonidas (Lon) Holladay’s grandfather was born in England. He brought his family to Tennessee to establish a plantation. There, T. D. Holladay, father of Lon, was born. In the 1850’s T. D. moved his family from his father’s home to Austin, Texas, and in 1871 established a ranch near San Bernardino, California.

Lon was born in Overton County, Tennessee, on April 10, 1854. He was an only son. At the age of 15 he entered upon a railroad career starting out as a fireman. He became an engineer in 1874. That year, he went to California and went to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad. As an engineer in 1880, he was transferred to Benson, Arizona, and then to Tucson. He married Mary Susan Wright in California and then established a residence at 237 S. 4th Avenue in Tucson. There were five children--three boys, Garland, Maurice and Lester, and two girls, Elsie and Grace.

Twice during his career as an engineer, Holladay was hurt in accidents, but recovered. He was interested in politics in Tucson, was a Democrat and served on the Board of Railroad Commissioners. He also served as “Chief” of Division No. 28, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

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