One of Fort Dodge’s early-day residents, who for many years operated a widely-known livery business here, built the house pictured above in 1885.

He was W. H. H. Colby who came to Fort Dodge in 1870 and established a livery and lumber business. Fifteen years later he erected the home at 215 N. 15th St. which is now owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Hilken and family. The Hilkens purchased the property in 1963 and reside there with their children, David, Janet and Danny. Hilken is employed at the Geo. A. Hormel & Co. plant.

The one-story frame house faces the west and sets far back from Fifteenth Street. It has a living room, dining room, kitchen, three bedrooms, bath and a full basement. An open porch extends along two sides of the house. In past years the house has been remodeled and modernized.

Colby was born in Vermont in 1840 and came to Wisconsin in 1859 where he operated a livery business in Sun Prairie. After 11 years there he and his family moved to Fort Dodge where he established his livery and lumber business. After a short time he quit the lumber business in order to devote full time to the livery and transfer business.

Colby’s brother, Charles, was associated with him in the business under the name of W. H. H. Colby & Bros. The firm’s operations included livery, hacks, bus and baggage transfer line. Their horse-drawn vehicles met all the trains arriving at the various railroad depots in the city and carried passengers and baggage to hotels and homes.

The Colbys erected a large brick building on the north side of the City Square where they carried on their extensive business. Their address was listed in old city directories as 426-428 Central Avenue.

After building the north Fifteenth Street home, Colby purchased the half block area just to the north of the home. Old timers recall that he brought many horses from his livery barn out to this area to graze on the grassy ground.

There were two children in the W. H. H. Colby family—a son Fred G. Colby who was bookkeeper for the livery firm; and a daughter, Miss Nellie Colby.

Frank Ulish purchased the Colby home in 1936 and the Ulish family resided there until 1949 when it was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Glen E. Yates. Owners of the property prior to its purchase by the Hilkens were Mr. and Mrs. Everett W. Mason.