Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 748-749; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Timothy F. Hamblin, one of the well-known business men of
Lewistown, was born in Portland, Me., coming of an old New England
family. His father, Jacob Hamblin, was a native of Gorham,
Cumberland County, Me., which at the time of his birth formed a part of
Massachusetts. He was a son of Gersham Hamblin, who is supposed
to have been a native of the same locality and to be derived from a
Scotch ancestry, he being a descendant of one of three brothers, who
came from their native Scotland to this country in early Colonial days.
The father of our subject began life as a sailor when quite
young and followed the sea in the merchant service till thirty years of
age. He then located in Gorham and for a time engaged in farming
in that place. He afterwards removed to Limington, York County,
where he carried on agricultural pursuits till his death.
The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Jane Small and
she was also a native of York County, Me., and there she spent her
entire life. Her marriage was productive of the following ten
children; Joshua and Leonard deceased; Emily, wife of Henry Lord, and a
resident of Lovell, Me,; Jacob, a resident of North Adams, Mass.; John,
who lives in Bangor, Me.; Samuel, deceased; Timothy, who was drowned
when six years old; Mary Jane, deceased, and James a resident of
Galesburg.
The subject of this sketch was the youngest child of the family
and he was reared amid the pleasant scenes of his native State and
received an excellent education in its public schools. When
sixteen years old, the manly, enterprising lad started out in life for
himself, and going to Portland, apprenticed himself to learn the trade
of a carpenter and joiner. At the expiration of his three years’
term of service he did journey work for three years. In 1852 he
started westward, as he shrewdly thought that in a newly settled
country young men of his capacity and enterprise would be in demand and
could make money. He first stopped at Chicago, which was then a
comparatively small place, with but little indication of its present
size and importance as one of the chief commercial centers of the
United States. A few months later he went to Clinton in DeWitt
County, and for nearly two years was engaged at his trade there.
He then established himself in the lumber business, continuing in that
three years.
We next hear of our subject in Galesburg, where he was actively
engaged in the butchering business, buying and shipping stock. In
1882, he came to Lewistown and followed butchering and buying and
selling live stock for five years. After that he became
interested in the grocery business, in which he has been very
successful, building up a good paying trade, and placing himself among
the solid men of the city.
Mr. Hamblin has been twice married. The maiden name of his
first wife was Mary H. Phares and she was a native of Ohio. By
her death in 1876 he lost a wise counselor and a true helpmate and his
children were deprived of the care of a good mother. His second
marriage was with Muss Pearl Jones, a native of Knox County, and was
solemnized in 1879. Their pleasant wedded life has been blessed
to them by the birth of one child, a daughter, whom they named Blanche
Blaine. Mr. Hamblin had three children by his first marriage, as
follows: Charles Fremont, a manager of the Western Union
Telegraph Comp any at Monmouth; Maynard W., manager of the same company
at Davenport, Iowa, and Lulu, at home with her parents.
Mr. Hamblin is a shrewd wide-awake man of business and stand
well in financial circles. He has been identified with the
Republican party since its organization and in its ranks is to be found
no truer or more faithful supporter of its principles than he.
While in Galesburg he was very prominent in the public life of the
city. He was twice elected Alderman from the Fourth Ward,
resigning during his second term to accept the position of City
Marshal, which office he filled with credit and to the good of the
municipality.
