Colby
J. R. Colby homesteaded near the geographical center
of the county in 1882. It was located 3 miles south of the present
site of Colby. In 1884, Mr. Colby got a patent for his town and
started a post office. However, before he could carry out his
plans for a town, the Colby Town site Company recorded a plan
for a town 3 miles north of the Colby homestead and worked out
a compromise with Mr. Colby in March 1885. Mr. Colby received
a business lot and a location for his house, as well as being
the namesake of the new town.
A county government was established on October 8,
1885, and Colby was named the county seat. The first court house
was a two-story, thirty feet square structure which was built
after funds were raised by private donations and it opened for
business on July 15, 1886. The courthouse shown below was built
in 1907.
The ethnicity of its settlers is unknown.
Sources
Forsyth Library Photo Archives
Wingo, Wayne C. A History
of Thomas County. Masters Thesis, Fort Hays Kansas State
College, 1964.
Bruner, R. I., Editor. Land
of the Windmills Thomas County, Kansas. Thomas County Historical
Society, 1976.
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