City of Holyrood

Holyrood, Kansas was founded in 1874 and established as a city in 1886. The original site of Holyrood was a half-mile south of Holyrood’s present site. When settlers first moved into the area, dugout houses were the home of choice. The first settlers of Holyrood were Irish, but they were soon followed by people of German and Czech origin. Today, Holyrood has a population of 447 and is located in Ellsworth County. Story has it that the town was named Hollyrood for a place in Canada. But along came a wind storm and blew one “l” off the railroad depot sign. The “l” was never replaced, and after fourteen years, the railroad officially accepted Holyrood as the spelling. Holyrood has been a member of the Kansas Power Pool since 2006.