Why Everett?

New York City

Our city was named at an 1890 dinner party in New York City. Charles Colby left his name on one of the most prominent streets in the new city. But his hungry son Everett Colby, just 15 years old, impressed the dinner guests with his appetite so much that he got the more impressive namesake feature.

Everett Colby

Charles Colby was the builder of the Wisconsin Central Railroad, among his many pursuits. Everett Colby grew up in a wealthy environment. He went to Brown and studied with John D. Rockefeller, Jr. He was captain of the football team his senior year, graduating in 1897. His father died in 1898, after which he toured the world. He studied law and settled in New Jersey and worked on Wall Street as a broker. New Jersey wasn’t where planned to stay, but he got into politics.

He started as a Commissioner for the State Board of Education, then chairman of the Republican Party of West Orange, NJ. Then he became an Assemblyman from Essex, NJ. This all happened when he was just out of college. Soon he became floor leader of the Republican majority in the House, too young to run for the Senate. However, he did get elected Senator and ran for Governor, but was not successful. By all accounts, he was an honest politician that would not be swayed by big business.