Henry Howland Crapo (1804-1869), a wealthy lumberman, Republican, state senator from 1863-64, and governor of Michigan from 1865-68, owned prosperous lumberyards in Holly, Fenton, and Flint. Lumber and railroads were essential to the development of this area. In 1863-64, Crapo was instrumental in developing the Flint to Holly Railroad, which linked this part of the state to the rest of the country. The eighteen-mile line was among the first in the United States to use steel rails and was funded entirely by private subscriptions. Crapo Park stands on the site of his Holly lumberyard. The property, owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, has been leased to the Village of Holly since 1918.