Colby, the county seat and principal city of Thomas county, is centrally located on Prairie Dog creek, at the junction of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, and two divisions of the Union Pacific railroads. Prior to 1907 it was a part of Morgan township, but in that year it was made an independent corporation. Colby has 2 banks, 4 grain elevators, a flour mill, a creamery, 2 weekly newspapers (the Tribune and Free Press), a public park, graded schools, the county high school and churches of five different denominations. The city and high school buildings were erected at a cost of over $40,000. Colby also has a money order postoffice with three rural routes, express and telegraph offices, a hotel, some good stores, an opera house, and is said to have more miles of cement sidewalk than any city in western Kansas. The growth during the last census decade was almost phenomenal, the census of 1900 showing a population of 641 and that of 1910 reporting 1,130. A United States land office was opened at Colby on Feb. 5, 1894.