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55-520: Ayer was a major junction for both north–south and east–west rail lines during the rapid development of railroad transportation. The Nashua River Rail Trail sits on the former Hollis branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad , which follows an old Nashaway Indian trail. The line was originally part of the Worcester & Nashua Railroad that connected Worcester, Massachusetts and Nashua, New Hampshire , which

110-462: A compact that generally benefitted the parties and ultimately was disastrous for France. France recognized the independence of the Indigenous tribes while claiming sovereignty over their territory at the same time, as well as the right to plead the cause of their Indigenous allies in the face of other European powers. The French allies accepted this protectorate since it permitted self-government and

165-470: A household in the town was $ 132,500, and the median income for a family was $ 148,820. Men had a median income of $ 112,692 versus $ 73,971 for women. The per capita income for the town was $ 62,329. About 1.2% of the population were below the poverty line . The table to the right and nearby chart, taken primarily from historical data from the U.S. Census Bureau , shows the population of Hollis from 1767 through 2010. After nearly doubling in population over

220-775: A series of conflicts that occurred in North America between 1688 and 1763, some of which indirectly were related to the European dynastic wars. The title French and Indian War in the singular is used in the United States specifically for the warfare of 1754–63, which composed the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War and the aftermath of which led to the American Revolution . The French and Indian Wars were preceded by

275-946: A traditional lifestyle. The Mi'kmaq and the Abenaki accepted Catholicism as it confirmed their alliance with the French against British colonists in Nova Scotia. Alongside the Mi'kmaq and the Abenaki, France's chief allies were the indiens domiciliés (resident Indians) who lived at the Catholic missions in New France. Many of these were Mohawk from their earlier territory in central New York, but there were also members of other tribes from New England. Fleeing attacks by New England colonists during and after King Philip's War motivated their displacement to French territory. At

330-513: Is generally held over the second weekend in September at Nichols Field in downtown Hollis. The annual Strawberry Festival each June comprises a concert by the town band accompanied by a variety of strawberry -based treats for sale including strawberry shortcake , pie and ice cream made from locally grown strawberries. The Hollis Apple Festival is held each year in October and includes a concert by

385-470: Is in southern New Hampshire, along the southern edge of Hillsborough County. Its southern border is the Massachusetts state line. The town is bordered to the east by the city of Nashua . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 32.3 square miles (83.6 km ), of which 31.7 square miles (82.2 km ) are land and 0.58 square miles (1.5 km ) are water, comprising 1.76% of

440-470: Is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Hollis Village Historic District . According to Samuel T. Worcester's history which was commissioned by the town selectmen in 1878, the town was incorporated in the province of New Hampshire on April 3, 1746, "to have continence forever by the name of Holles ..." Worcester argues that, at the time of the charter, Governor Benning Wentworth

495-517: The Ayer commuter rail station offering access to rail service between Boston and Fitchburg , there is a 60-space parking lot with non-flush public toilets. There are several other parking lots along the trail, which crosses many roads and bridges. Trail users can stop for refreshments in nearby Groton Center or at a restaurant and ice-cream stand in Pepperell. Free parking is available in Pepperell where

550-578: The Beaver Wars . In Quebec , the various wars are generally referred to as the Intercolonial Wars. Some conflicts involved Spanish and Dutch forces, but all pitted the Kingdom of Great Britain , its colonies , and their Indigenous allies on one side against France , its colonies , and its Indigenous allies on the other. A driving cause behind the wars was the desire of each country to take control of

605-693: The Proclamation of 1763 , in an effort to relieve encroachment on Indigenous territory. These pressures contributed to the American Revolutionary War . The first three of the French and Indian Wars followed the same basic pattern: they all started in Europe and then moved to North America. Once the conflict broke out in North America, it was mostly fought by colonial militias. The final conflict broke this pattern by beginning in North America. In addition,

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660-615: The "White Building") is the original Hollis High School built in 1877 and continued to be used as a school building through the 2005–2006 school year. During this last year for the Farley Building, it contained classrooms for English, social studies, art, French, and Spanish. The Town of Hollis acquired the Farley Building from the Hollis School District in August 2007. French and Indian Wars The French and Indian Wars were

715-521: The British used more regular troops alongside colonial militia. They returned almost none of the French territory seized during the war. France was forced to cede its extensive territory in present-day Canada and Louisiane . The British victory in the French and Indian Wars reduced France's New World empire to St. Pierre and Miquelon (two islands off Newfoundland ), a few West Indian islands, and French Guiana . The belligerents strove in general to control

770-578: The English colonists designed new combat techniques, inspired by the Indigenous combat methods. These techniques, which included cover and stressed ambushes , is supposed to have been the reason why the colonists finally defeated the French, and then the British army during the American Revolutionary War . In reality, however, the French and Indian wars were finally won by Britain through the application of traditional European tactics. The Fortress of Louisbourg surrendered twice after sieges conducted according to

825-675: The French and Indian War British numerical superiority became overwhelming, in spite of almost the whole male population of Canada being mobilized, and standard European tactics won the day and the war. The British military forces consisted of the British Army 's regular regiments and independent companies; the provincial regiments raised by the several colonies in British America , and the colonial militia . The British Army had two types of units in North America: regular regiments serving in

880-507: The French and Indian War, naval gunner-bombardier companies were also stationed in North America. The other ranks of the marines were enlisted in France, but the officer corps became increasingly Canadian through recruitment of officers' sons. All promotions were by merit; purchase of commissions was prohibited. The British rangers were an attempt to replicate the tactics of the French colonial marines. The Swiss regiment de Karrer also operated under

935-459: The French to a large extent made use of indigenous allies (see below). The small French population; New France's dependence on the fur trade , mutually profitable for both French and indigenous peoples; and the common threat from the British colonies, made the indigenous peoples willing allies. The Battle of the Monongahela was the largest achievement of the petty warfare tactics. But at the end of

990-739: The Hollis Town Band. The festival previously included the Applefest Half Marathon, which was first run in 1983. In 2008, it was named "Race of the Year" by New England Runner . The Applefest was co-hosted by the Hollis Women's Club. As of 2010, Hollis was part of the following state and federal legislative and executive districts: There are four New Hampshire State Routes within Hollis. There are four schools in Hollis, two of which are part of

1045-508: The Hollis/Brookline Cooperative School District. Hollis Primary School serves kindergarten through third grade, and Hollis Upper Elementary School serves grades four through six. Hollis/Brookline Middle School serves seventh and eighth grade and Hollis/Brookline High School serves grades nine through twelve. Seventh grade is the first year that Hollis and Brookline students attend the same school. From then on,

1100-588: The Royal French Navy. Its depot was in Rochefort , but its companies served in North American and the Caribbean. In 1754 six battalions from the regiments Artois , Béarn , Bourgogne , Guyenne , Languedoc , and La Reine were transferred to New France. In 1757 two additional battalions arrived from Royal Roussilon and La Sarre , followed the next year by two battalions from de Berry . An artillery company

1155-741: The U.S.) Seven Years' War (in Canada) 4th Intercolonial War or War of the Conquest (in Quebec) Father Le Loutre's War Naming conflicts after the British monarch of the day is a convention in United States history related to its early European settlement as majority-English colonies. Canadian convention uses the name of the larger European conflict (e.g., the "War of the Grand Alliance" rather than "King William's War") or refers to

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1210-646: The annual celebration "Old Home Days." Hollis Old Home Days is "an annual weekend celebration of the days of 'Hollis Past'." Old Home Days were originally established in New Hampshire in 1899, by then Governor Frank West Rollins , in an attempt to draw people back to New Hampshire towns. Hollis Old Home Days was reestablished in 1996 in commemoration of the town's 250th anniversary. The 2010 event included "amusement rides, parade, barbecue, silent auction, booths, fireworks, live music, balloon rides, pet parade, heritage craft demonstrations" and various other activities. It

1265-400: The average family size was 3.16. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 98.0 men. For the period 2014–2018, the median income for

1320-744: The center of town, north of Silver Lake , and drains the northern part of the town along with its tributary, Witches Brook. Pennichuck Brook and the Nashua River are tributaries of the Merrimack River , and Hollis lies fully within the Merrimack's watershed . Hollis is in USDA plant hardiness zone 5A. The closest NOAA climate station is in Nashua. The nearby table shows applicable temperature and precipitation data by month. Hollis population by age As with many of

1375-664: The colonial marines, contained the core of the military forces of New France . It was only during the French and Indian War that units from the French Royal Army were transferred to Canada. The colonial militia was more important than its counterpart in British America. The French colonies were administered through the secretary of state for the navy, and naval troops garrisoned New France. The French marines were organized into independent companies called Compagnies franches. During

1430-562: The colonies for a longer or shorter period of time, normally sent there only after the war had begun, and independent companies , permanently based in the colonies as garrisons of forts and fortresses. The British Army was largely recruited among the poor and the criminal classes; yet, the independent companies had lower status. Their ranks were often filled with people who had left the regular service – former soldiers mainly, but also deserters . The officers were often promoted non-commissioned officers . The independent companies became rooted in

1485-540: The end of the French and Indian wars, all resident Indigenous peoples were joined in the confederation of the Seven Nations of Canada . A pattern of warfare emerged during the clashes between the European colonial powers and the American Indigenous peoples which characterized the four major French and Indigenous wars. The complex network of relations was fundamental between some Indigenous tribes and some colonies,

1540-506: The first settlers of Hollis, in 1731. In 1732, the Powers birthed the first child in Hollis, a daughter, also named Anna. According to Spaulding's history, Powers "became a noted backwoodsman and colonial land surveyor," and eventually accrued approximately 1,500 acres (610 ha) in the north part of Hollis. Powers was also a militia officer in the French and Indian Wars and was commissioned captain by Governor Wentworth. The younger Peter

1595-535: The fourth and last war. The overwhelming victory of the British played a role in the eventual loss of their thirteen American colonies. Without the threat of French invasion, the American colonies saw little need for British military protection. In addition, the American people resented British efforts to limit their colonization of the new French territories to the west of the Appalachian Mountains , as stated in

1650-471: The interior territories of America, as well as the region around Hudson Bay ; both were deemed essential to domination of the fur trade . The North American wars, and their associated European wars, in sequence, are: King William's War 1st Intercolonial War (in French ) Queen Anne's War 2nd Intercolonial War Dummer's War King George's War 3rd Intercolonial War War of Jenkins' Ear The French and Indian War (in

1705-486: The last 33 years of the 18th century, Hollis' population consistently declined (excepting only the decade of the 1850s and the first decade of the 20th century) for 120 years, not returning to the levels of 1800 until sometime during the 1950s. Since 1930, Hollis' population has consistently grown, particularly during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Hollis has a number of town traditions and celebrations characteristic of old New England towns, including two harvest festivals and

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1760-503: The local society, often transforming the military service into a sideline of a civilian occupation, and remaining in the colonies after expiration of the enlistment period. When war began, the several colonies organized their own military forces, provincial troops, through temporary enlistments. The soldiers came from the lower orders of society, which did not strengthen their reliability or efficiency. Massachusetts Bay , New York and Connecticut usually mobilized large contingents, while

1815-532: The major transportation and trade routes, not just the sea routes that connected the colonies with the mother country, or the land routes that existed between the different colonies, but also the major fur trade routes leading to the interior of North America. These were normally along lakes and rivers and stretching from the Atlantic to the Mississippi. Many indigenous Nations lived by these routes, and became involved in

1870-478: The militia was restricted to the more substantial members of society, since every militiaman had to provide himself with a musket, knapsack, powder, bullets, flints, and sword. Each local community organized its own militia. The officers were either appointed by the governor or elected by the men. The main task of the local militia was local defense, rarely serving in the field but acting as a more or less efficient home guard . The Compagnies Franches de la Marine ,

1925-407: The population. There were 2,440 households, out of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.9% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 13.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and

1980-527: The regular army; a provincial field officer ranked as a senior British captain, although these officers were members of the colonial elite, often members of colonial legislatures . Disputes concerning rank and precedent between regular and provincial officers were common. Junior provincial officers were often popular militia officers, who easily could recruit a company of men. Each colony had its own militia, which in principle contained all able-bodied men 16 to 60 years of age. In reality, however, membership in

2035-541: The rules of European warfare, and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham 1759 was a European battle fought in closed formations in the open. Although ultimately futile, the French fought according to the tactical doctrine contemporaries called la Petite guerre , or today's guerilla warfare . The numerical inferiority of the French forces in North America made it impossible to fight a war according to standard European tactics. Hence

2090-407: The southern colonies always very reluctantly contributed to the imperial cause. The British Army did not have high opinions of the battleworthiness of the provincial troops, with the exception of the ranger units . During conjoint operations the provincial troops were subject to the very strict British Articles of War . The officers of the provincial troops had lower relative rank than the officers of

2145-468: The struggle between Britain and France over northeastern America because of its location east and south of Lake Ontario . The League's aggressive military and commercial policy gave the five Iroquois nations control over large parts of the country, forcing many smaller Indigenous nations into submission. The Iroquois used the Covenant Chain to join with the colony of New York and other British colonies in

2200-404: The student body is a combination of students from both neighboring towns. In past years, the graduating class was made up of about 100 students from each town, resulting in 200 students total. For many years, the current primary school was known as Hollis Elementary School and served kindergarten through grade six. The current middle school (known as Hollis/Brookline Junior High School until 2001)

2255-401: The town. The highest point in Hollis is the summit of Birch Hill, at 821 feet (250 m) above sea level , located near the town's western border. The Nashua River flows through the southeastern corner of the town out of Pepperell, Massachusetts and into Nashua . The Nissitissit River , a tributary of the Nashua, flows through the western part of the town. Pennichuck Brook rises near

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2310-422: The town. The population density was 221.0 inhabitants per square mile (85.3/km ). There were 2,491 housing units at an average density of 78.5 per square mile (30.3/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 96.59% White , 0.44% African American , 0.11% Native American , 1.65% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.17% from other races , and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of

2365-409: The towns on the New Hampshire border with Massachusetts , Hollis is rapidly changing from mixed-use farmland ( apple orchards, corn , pumpkins , and other vegetables ) to a bedroom community for the 54% of working residents who work elsewhere in New Hampshire, and the 30% who work out of state. As of the census of 2000, there were 7,015 people, 2,440 households, and 2,025 families residing in

2420-503: The trail crosses Massachusetts Route 113 and at the Nashua trailhead at Yudicky Park. 42°39′00″N 71°34′36″W  /  42.65000°N 71.57667°W  / 42.65000; -71.57667 Hollis, New Hampshire Hollis is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire , United States. The population was 8,342 at the 2020 census , having grown 9% from the 2010 population of 7,684. The town center village

2475-533: The wars as the Intercolonial Wars. As the wars proceeded, the military advantage moved toward the British side. This was chiefly the result of the greater population and productive capacity of the British colonies compared with those of France. In addition, the British had the greater ability to resupply their colonies and project military power by sea. In the first three conflicts, the French were able to offset these factors largely by more effective mobilization of Indigenous allies, but they were finally overwhelmed in

2530-404: The wars between the great powers of Europe. The belligerents built fortified positions at major transportation hubs and requested the help of the local indigenous population to defend these, and to attack enemy positions. A common view is that European combat methods and military tactics were not adapted to the American forests and to the indigenous art of war. It is therefore conjectured that

2585-524: The year 1775, town records started appearing with the town's name spelled as "Hollis", after Thomas Hollis. Both spellings were used until about 1815, after which only the name "Hollis" appears, "...while Holles, the name of the Duke of Newcastle, has passed into merited oblivion." Captain Peter Powers (1707–1757), his wife Anna Keyes (1708–1798), and their two children Peter (1729–1800) and Stephen (born 1729) were

2640-456: Was added from Worcester to Nashua. Passenger service on the line ended in 1934. After World War II, with the gradual decline of rail transportation, the line fell into disuse, and the last freight train ran on the line in 1982. Some concrete signal bases can still be seen, and railroad plates and ties can be found buried under the sand. The DCR bought the Hollis Branch in 1987, and the trail

2695-544: Was also sent over the Atlantic. The Canadian colonial militia enjoyed a substantially higher morale and battleworthiness than the British provincial troops and the militia of the British colonies. This was only true, however, when they were employed as home guard or as wilderness warriors. Besides a combat role, the Canadian militia also fulfilled important tasks behind the lines, such as transportation and road building. The Iroquois League played an important strategic role in

2750-586: Was formerly Hollis/Brookline High School but became too small for the number of students attending. A new building was built and became the Hollis/Brookline Junior High School. However, the three buildings were still insufficient, and a new high school was opened in 1998. The former high school became the current middle school, the former middle school became Hollis Upper Elementary School, and the former Hollis Elementary became Hollis Primary. The historic Farley Building (formerly known as simply

2805-462: Was indebted to Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle , for his appointment as governor. According to Worcester, it was "very much the custom with Gov. Wentworth" to name towns in honor of his friends and patrons. Thus in the same year, the towns of Pelham and Holles were incorporated, and named after the duke. Worcester cites a Mr. Bancroft who, Thomas Hollis (1659–1731) was a major benefactor of Harvard College . According to Worcester, about

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2860-457: Was later acquired in 1886 by the Boston & Maine Railroad . The WN&P from Hollis to Nashua, New Hampshire , was abandoned in 1941, and the B&;M subsequently renamed the remaining line south to Ayer, Massachusetts the Hollis Branch. The B&M continued to provide freight service until the Hollis Branch was abandoned in 1982, with a fuel dealer being the last rail customer in town. Hollis

2915-465: Was opened on July 3, 1848. The line was extended to Portland, Maine in 1874 and it became part of the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad connecting Worcester and points east to Canada's Grand Trunk Railroad via Portland, Maine . The Boston & Maine Railroad took over the line in 1886 and called it the Worcester, Nashua & Portland (WN&P) Division. Between 1911 and 1912, a second track

2970-454: Was paved by Mass Highway between 2001 and 2002. The official opening and dedication was on October 25, 2002. The Nashua River Rail Trail travels along a flat and scenic landscape with many opportunities to see wildlife. The trail passes wetlands, ponds, woods, swamps, and farmland where a variety of wildlife can be viewed, such as beavers, herons and swans. At the Ayer trailhead, which is close to

3025-509: Was the first college graduate from Hollis, matriculating from Harvard in 1754. He served as pastor of churches throughout New England and died at the age of 71 in Deer Island, Maine . The following is from Worcester's History of Hollis : Hollis was a station stop on the Worcester & Nashua Railroad , which built its line through the town in 1848 as part of a through route between Worcester, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine . The line

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