Transcribed and submitted by Kay Scholtz <scholtz@tznet.com>
Source: 1918 History of Clark County Wisconsin; Compiled by
Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge. Reviewed by James O'Neill, Chicago and
Winona, H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co. 1918, “Historical Contributions”,
pages 680-1
MRS. AUGUST HOMSTED, in narrating her early experiences, says: “I
was born in Ohio, in 1860, and came to Wisconsin with my sister to
Stevens Point. The railroad at that time was six miles from that
place. We drove from Stevens 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 post office was located in
Miltimore’s store, Bradley G. Miltimore being the first postmaster,
serving for a while 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 when beyond where the Smith Hotel now stands, and
burned the entire block to the corner.”
