Dorchester Village

Dorchester Village

Dorchester lies between the Eau Pleine River, three miles to the east and Poplar River, a like distance to the west, being on the water shed, one stream flowing into the Wisconsin River and the other being a part of the Black River system. It is on the Soo line and at one time was an important mill town, but in later years prospers as the center of a rich farming community. It is one of the thrifty and progressive towns in the northeastern corner of the county, two miles from one county line and a half mile from another.

The principal business enterprises now flourishing in Dorchester are three general stores, one clothing store, three hardware stores, one tinshop, two blacksmith shops, one furniture store, one restaurant, one bowling alley, one drug store, two garages, one livery stable, two hotels, five saloons, one feed mill, one flour and feed store, one saw and planing mill, a potato warehouse, a barber shop, one cheese paraffining station, a bank, a newspaper, and one of the best opera houses on the line from Marshfield to Ashland. The village contains two doctors and its religious interests are well taken care of by six churches.

Dorchester had its beginning in 1874. At that time the railroad station was a section house at the end of the railroad two miles north of the present village. The village was platted July 14, 1874, on land owned by the Wisconsin Central Railroad. The first residence was a log shanty on the homestead of Louis Robbins. The first store was that of Dan. Miltimore. Soon afterward the Evans and Sands mills went up, and for many years the village was an important lumbering center. The railroad brought quite a few homesteaders who took land in the vicinity, thus stimulating the growth of the village, but for many years most of the new arrivals were lumbermen, who spent the winters in the woods and departed in the spring.

the survey being made July 22, 23 and 24, by C. S. Stockwell, and the census, taken July 25-27, by J. H. Breed, showing a population of 471. Application was made August 8, the petition being signed by Frank Nagel, Fred Gutwasser, Bert Wells, H. La Bossier, W. D. Chamness, J. A, Miltimore, B. G. Miltimore, Aug. Homsted, A. Sorenson, D. W. Bursell and Ray W. Hugoboom. The petition was granted and the charter election was held Oct. 22, 1901, at La Bossier Hall, the judges and inspectors in charge being Ray W. Hugoboom, Frank Nagel and August Homsted. Out of a total vote of sixty-six, there were fifty-eight ayes and eight noes. The first election for officers took place in November, 1901, when the following were elected: President, Frank Nagel; trustees, H. Kayhart, John Koerner, W. D. Chamness, Henry Rau and Gust Genrich; clerk, August Homsted; treasurer, Andrew Sorenson; assessor, J. H. Breed; justice, Frank Nagel; constable, C. A. Sessler.

The town or village hall is a frame building in which are located the council rooms, the lock-up, and the fire apparatus. The last consists of one chemical engine, one gas engine, a hand-pump and a hook and ladder truck. Water is secured from cisterns which have been constructed for that purpose. The fire department is a volunteer organization, Joseph C. Weber being the present chief.

Among the attractions of the village is a small park, laid out along the railroad right of way, and which is fenced and planted with trees and flowers.

The first school in Dorchester was held in a small building, which afterwards became the woodshed of a larger structure erected in 1876. The latter was in use for a long time, an addition being built to it in 1903. In 1917, the old building having ceased to be adequate to the requirements, the present fine school building was erected at a cost of $15,000. It is a substantial and ornamental structure of two stories and basement, 45 by 78 feet in dimensions, and of two stories and basement, 45 by 78 feet in dimensions, and containing four rooms. There are ten grades, including a two-year high school course, one of the important adjuncts being a well selected library.

Abbotsford for years was famous chiefly as the junction of the Chippewa Falls railroad with the Wisconsin Central, now both part of the Soo line. It is three miles north of Colby and since the cut-off was built from Spencer to Owen and the consequent removal of railroad activities from the former junction, the advancement of Abbotsford was not rapid for a few years, but recently it has found a new mission in supplying a local market for a rich farming country and is steadily progressing. The village is on the county line, and draws much of its trade from Marathon County.

Abbotsford originally stood in the midst of a dense forest. The Wisconsin Central was built north through the town in 1873 and a few settlers came in. When the Chippewa Falls branch of the road was built in 1880, Abbotsford became an important railroad junction.

These exceptional railroad facilities started the new town off with a rush, and within one year the village had a depot, with an eating-house seating 136 people, and with twenty-one sleeping-rooms, together with about twenty other buildings. William Livingston had a good hotel nearly opposite the depot, 8. A. Cook conducted a general store, John Johnson kept the railroad hotel called the Abbot Hotel, Charles Partridge was postmaster, and there was a restaurant and three saloons. With this beginning, the village has progressed to its present importance.

Application for the incorporation of the village of Abbotsford was made June 13, 1894, the signers of the petition being R. C. Tennant, N. E. Denny, John A. Olson, W. W. Denney, John Greve, Pau] Woock, Isaac Nelson, Edward Grenem, Gullick Olson, August J. Meyers, Hugh Traverse, and John P. Olson. The census was taken April 23, 1894, by Albion F. Richards, showing a population of 362. On April 28 Christian Tiedermann made the survey. The charter election was held at Paul Woock's Hall, July 7, 1894, sixty votes being cast, of which fifty-nine were in the affirmative, with only one negative.