The farmhouse was built by Thomas and Asenath Smith around 1861.
Thomas Smith was born in Suffolk County, England in 1809. He farmed there until 1832, when he immigrated to Canada. Shortly after, in 1836, he moved to Michigan briefly, where he unfortunately lost an arm. From 1837 to 1846 he relocated to Rochester, NY where he kept a restaurant before moving to Hampden, WI. While in Hampden, he returned to farming and married his first wife, Rhoda Laskey, who unfortunately died in 1853; he married her sister, Asenath Laskey, the same year. In 1861 he purchased a 160-acre plot of land in the settlement of Columbus, WI. It appears this is when he built the farmhouse that remains at 1400 Park Avenue. When the settlement was incorporated into a village in 1864, Thomas served as one of the first four village trustees for the village’s first year. He died in 1881 and was laid to rest in the Hampden Cemetery with his first wife. Asenath remained on the farm for a few year before relocating to Minnesota to live with her daughter by 1895 and then returning to Columbus to live with her brother by 1905. She died in 1927 and was buried in the Hillside Cemetery in Columbus, where the four children she shared with Thomas are also buried.
The Roys brothers built the barns and raised horses.
Brothers Edwin and Clarendon Roys moved from Berkshire County, Massachusetts to Hampden, WI with two brothers and their widowed mother in the 1850s. During the Civil War, Edwin served in the 16th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, where he rose from Private to Captain, eventually commanding his Company. He resigned from military service in 1862. By 1890 Edwin and Clarendon had moved to Columbus after purchasing the farm from Mrs. Asenath Smith. They raised horses, likely Percheron horses given Clarendon’s interest in this breed, on the property and trained them on a track across the road. The farm was first known as the Roys Bros. Wheatland Stock Farm, then later changed to the Avalon Farm. In addition to the brothers, there were several boarders and horse trainers who also resided on the farm. Clarendon died in 1910 and Edwin died in 1914; both are buried with their family in the Hampden Cemetery.
Map of Columbus from 1890
Bottom left of map: Roys Bros, Wheatland Stock Farm
Ownership changed thrice more to a mayor, cattle farmer, then insurance agent.
A few years after the passing of Edwin Roys in 1914, it appears that ownership was transferred to William C Leitsch, Mayor of Columbus and President of The Columbus Canning Company. Per census records, it does not appear that Mayor Leitsch or his wife, Adelaide, ever lived on the farm, but preferred to stay in their residence on Prairie Street. After Mayor Leitsch’s passing in 1923, his wife continued to live with family in the Prairie Street home, traveling extensively abroad until her passing in 1937. At some point after 1940, Elmer Miller took over the farm. He was a breeder of Red Poll cattle and the farm became known as the Miller Stock Farm at that time. He was a leader in Wisconsin agriculture, serving on the State Fair Board, Wisconsin Master Farmers, and Wisconsin Livestock Board. Elmer died in 1993 in Poynette, Wisconsin. Frank Lueders likely owned the land after Elmer Miller, as he subdivided tracts of the larger farm across Park Ave into the Parkview subdivision and another subdivision where the Faith Lutheran Church was built in 1971. The main farmhouse and barns remained intact when sold to the Dingees in 1973.
Photo courtesy of G. O’brion
John and Doris Dingee bought the property in 1973 and owned it until the City bought it.
John Dingee was an Army veteran who participated in D-Day, but rarely talked about his time in service. Doris was an active member of the community in Columbus, serving on the board of Columbus Community Hospital and working at AnchorBank for many years (Source: Doris’ obituary). They were married in San Francisco in 1973 but returned to settle down in Columbus, purchasing the farm. Together, they purchased the farm and made it their home for decades. John enjoyed working on cars and was incredibly proud of his 1963 Mercedes convertible (pictured). He passed away in 2001. Doris lived to the age of 98 and passed away in September 2021.