This historic district was once the scene of frequent brawls. In 1880, an uproar between local rowdies and workers of a traveling circus left many bruised, beaten, and jailed, and the street was thus named Battle Alley. Carry A. Nation, known as the Kansas saloon smasher, came to Holly on August 28, 1908, at the request of the local prohibition committee. Wielding her umbrella, she strode through the alley's bars bellowing about the Demon Rum and its sins. In 1910, Battle Alley became the first brick street in the village.