James Holly

Decoys have always been an important tool in hunting waterfowl on the Upper Chesapeake. The identity of the earliest carvers from the region has long since been lost to time, but early oral histories indicate that lures were made by pioneering families with names such as Morgan, Knight, Barnes, and Bishop. The Hollys and the Howletts are among the early families that have received the most research and documentation. It is stated by many that the Hollys of Havre de Grace deserve the credit as being the innovators of the Harford County style of decoy.

The Holly family patriarch that was known to have carved decoys was John Holly (1818 – 1892). He is often referred to in the collecting world as "Daddy" Holly, apparen...