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Colby Collection

The Colby Motor Company was the dream-child of an adventurous promoter and salesman, William Martin Colby. Colby was an enterprising businessman and had behind him a list of impressive achievements, including the promoting of brick, tile, and sewer pipe companies in three Iowa cities and a $2 million project in Washington state. When the Washington Brick, Tile, and Sewer Company had been successfully promoted and construction was well on its way, Colby left Spokane and returned to his home in Mason City, Iowa. There, in the early months of 1910, he became involved with the organization of the People's State Bank of Mason City. He was appointed a member of the board of directors and remained in that position until that autumn, when he began promoting the Colby Motor Company.

Halladay car, 1911. (ACM pilot car). COLBY 1	Night control at Fargo, North Dakota, 1911. COLBY 2	The Colby car, as it looked on leaving Sullivan Hill, 1911. COLBY 3
The Colby car, 1911. COLBY 4	Colby Car Company, construction department, July 1911. COLBY 5	The Colby car, 1911. COLBY 6
Colby races, 1911. COLBY 7	Colby car, 1911. 40hp Baker wheels and rims, 37" x 4.5" tires. COLBY 8	Cover of menu for Colby Car banquet, Hotel Cerro Gordo, Mason City, Iowa, August 2, 1911. COLBY 9
John Colby seated in the Colby car, June 20, 1911. COLBY 11	Colby car, 1912. COLBY 12	Colby car, 1912. Colby "Red Devil" Bill Pearce, killed in 1914. COLBY 13
Colby underslung races, 1912. COLBY 14	Employees of the Colby Car Company, Mason City, Iowa, 1912 or 1913. Pay was $3.15 per hour. COLBY 15	Colby car, 1914, six cylinder, 60hp, Bill Colby, front left, Mason City, Iowa. COLBY 16
Gray 6 Colby, about 1930. COLBY 17	Colby car, four cylinder, 50hp. COLBY 18	Colby car, six cylinder, 60hp. COLBY 19
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