Colgate, Wisconsin
A Little Local History
From http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~djschulteis/richfield/index.htm Click on hyperlink for a map
Compiled and Edited by Michael R. Reilly
Last Revised 03/03/2005
Colgate is situated on the border and the community is located in both the Township of Richfield in Washington County and the Township of Lisbon in Waukesha County. This would be section 35 in the Township of Richfield and section 2 in the Township of Lisbon.
The community first appears on a plat map in 1892 as Colgate Station as the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Sainte Marie railroad ( Note: An 1891 Plat of Lisbon identifies the original Wisconsin Central Line running thru the area called Colgate Station) had been located through the community. The 1915 plat map also identifies the community as Colgate Station while in 1929 it is now referred to just as Colgate.
The book Richfield Remembers The Past identifies Colgate was established in 1886. Initially the community had the usual compliment of businesses: small hotel, general store, four saloons, a tin shop, a blacksmith shop, a cheese factory, with a church and school nearby. The cheese factory went out of business in 1914. In 1916 the community was said to possess a population of 50.
With the passing of the railroad as a primary means of transportation, the closing of the cheese factory, the hotel and several saloons burning to the ground, the Community of Colgate began to fade. Today the community exists only because it once existed as is the case with many old time hamlets.
As there is a zip code, 53017, assigned to Colgate, this will keep the communities name alive.
The Following History is from "Lisbon 2000 Millennium Book"
This 1914 plat map (above) of the two-county, unincorporated Village of Colgate shows a proposed development that never happened. The railroad, which came through in 1886, was developed with the help of John Colgate, one of the railroad's building engineers. He left a crossroad with his name. Notice on the map that Colgate Rd. was then called Liberty Street running south of County Line Road. County Line Rd., today Hwy Q, is featured as Main Street.
In the Magner's plat, there is a Magner Street. Today, this is Short Street, descriptive of its' present length. There are no longer side-tracks on the Wisconsin Central Railroad, and the depot is also gone. The depot was the original post office, which postmaster Andrew Ennis also acted as the depot agent.
Once there were several businesses in Colgate, including general stores, a blacksmith, and a post office. From 1887 to 1903 the post office was on the south side of County Line Road, and therefore was in the Town of Lisbon. After 1903, the post office was established on the north side and has remained there since. Frank Stern and later his wife, Elfrieda, ran the post office from 1903 to 1966.
The Colgate post office was established in 1887 with the
first postmaster, Andrew Ennis, Sr., operating out of the new Wisconsin Central
Railroad Depot. It remained on the Lisbon side of the county line until 1903
when it made its move across tot he north side of the street (County Highway Q).
A list of the postmasters are:
Andrew Ennis, Sr.
Jan. 11, 1887
August B. Henschel
June 13, 1889
Max Manthey
Aug. 30, 1898
Colgate - "Our post office was removed Oct 1st to its
new quarters. Max Manthey will act as postmaster vica A. B. Henschel".
Source: The Waukesha Freeman, Oct. 6, 1898, page 6.
Albert E. Waudrey
Feb. 2, 1903
Frank E. Stirn
Aug 12, 1903
Moved to Washington County Dec. 15, 1903
Elfrieda A. Stirn
Jan. 31, 1946
Elenore Christison
Dec. 31, 1966 (Clerk-in-Charge)
Lynn Edward Burton
March 10, 1967
Of note at the Colgate post office are the Stirns who served for 63 years, from 1903 to 1966.
Once there were several businesses in Colgate, including general stores, a blacksmith, and a post office. From 1887 to 1903 the post office was on the south side of County Line Road, and therefore was in the Town of Lisbon. The Wisconsin Central Railroad depot was the original post office, where postmaster Andrew Ennis also acted as the depot agent. 1902/Dec. - Max Manthey, Town of Lisbon Supervisor, dies after jumping from a second story porch to escape his general store/post office disastrous fire. This event led to the post office moving out of the Town into Washington County. Albert A. Audrey (?) was acting postmaster for a short time. After 1903, the post office was established on the north side and has remained there since. Frank Stirn and later his wife, Elfrieda, ran the post office from 1903 to 1966.
Chronological Historical Events
1902/Dec. - Max Manthy, Town of Lisbon Supervisor, dies after jumping from a second story porch to escape his general store/post office disastrous fire. This event led to the post office moving out of the Town into Washington County.
1916/Dec. 21 - Mrs. Gertrude Ferber, aged 47 years, wife of W. H. Ferber, a former resident of town Auburn, died at her home in Colgate, Wis., last Thursday morning after a lingering illness. The funeral services were held Saturday afternoon from the family residence at Colgate and interment took place in St. John's cemetery at Plat Wis. Besides her husband, Mrs. Ferber is survived by three sisters, Mrs. Mary Clos of Milwaukee, Mrs. Matthew Staus of Lake Five, and Miss Kate Casper of Colgate. Mr. Ferber arrived Monday evening and will remain here with relatives until after the holidays. Source: Campbellsport News
| The photo postcard to the right was postmarked 1913 in Colgate and mailed to Briggsville. The postcard was published by P. H. Trakat in West Bend. Can anyone identify location as being Colgate? |
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| Postcard showing a street scene (horses and buggies) in Colgate, Wisconsin, postmarked Oct. 2, 1907. |
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