Colby Township Memories
Clark County, Wisconsin
Spruce Street, Colby, Wisconsin, 1900 ca.
1905
1918
MRS. AUGUST HOMSTED, in narrating her early
experiences, says: "I was born in Ohio, in 1860, and came to Wisconsin with my
sister to Steven's Point. The railroad at that time was six miles from that
place. We drove from Steven's Point to G. W. Holtan's farm. I stayed with
him--my brother-in-law--and took care of the children. I spent a good deal of my
time at Neillsville and used to walk from the farm to Loyal in one day. There
was no wagon road and I used to follow the cow trail through the woods. The
trail was blazed and a part of the way cut. I stayed on the farm and at
Neillsville until 1879, when I was married at Colby. I ran the Colby Hotel for a
short time, then went to Unity and ran the old Forest House for a couple of
years, then came to Dorchester. My husband was a druggist, and after coming to
Dorchester opened a drug store in a small building which we rented. We built the
building where our store now is. The first postoffice was located in Miltimore's
store, Bradley G. Miltimore being the first postmaster, serving for, awhile
under Cleveland's first administration. Henry La Bossier was appointed and
served until Harrison was elected president. My husband, August Homsted, was
appointed and served four years under Cleveland's second administration. Peter
Shafer was appointed and served until his death in 1910. During the early
seventies all supplies were brought in by team, except that some men carried
them on their backs. When we first came to Dorchester the buildings were small
frame structures. In 1888 fire visited the town and burned all the places of
business, except one store and a building which stood where the Block Hotel now
stands. In 1897 a second fire occurred. It started just beyond where the Smith
Hotel now stands, and burned the entire block to the corner." 1918 History of Clark Co., WI