Hampton was surveyed and platted in October, 1879, about the
time the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad was completed to that
point.
Mr. Joshua Cox had purchased
four hundred and forty acres of land here in the spring of 1879, and it was on
this land the town was located. During the next year he purchased six hundred
more, making a solid body of about one thousand acres. His brother, James M.
Cox, also purchased one thousand acres adjoining that of Joshua. Building began
immediately after the platting of the town, Ernest Leyer erecting the first
store building, in which he opened the first general stock of goods. C. R. Young
soon after built the first dwelling house. These were soon followed by the
grocery store of C. R. Young, the general store of A. T. Vieh & Company, the
grain storehouse of F. Eberhardt, the hardware store of A. G. Evans, drug store
of J. F. Morse and the lumber yard and office of D. C. Bell.
In 1880 G. P. Chessman put up a
grain elevator, the first in the town. Among those who were prominently
identified with the building up of the village were W. J. Williamson, Holden
& Lane, H. H. Lohman, Frank Chambers, T. J. Fiegenbaum, A. G. Evans, G. P.
Chessman, R. A. Ingalls, Wellman & Son, and the Cox brothers, Joshua, James
M. and Levi. In 1882 the first hotel was built by James M. Fodge and the same
year a bank was opened by Cox Brothers.
A school house was built in
1881, in which the first term of school was taught (the same season) by J. H.
Sauls, one of the oldest settlers in this vicinity and the representative of the
county in the constitutional convention of 1875. An excellent school building,
adapted to the needs of a graded school, was erected in 1885. Hampton was incorporated as
a village January 10, 1883, with E. D. Foster, S. W. Holden, D. M. Zook, Levi
Cox and M. E. Gerdes as trustees.
This has always been a good
business point, as will be seen from the following statement of early railroad
business.
In 1887 there were shipped from
Hampton Station a total of 1,065 cars of grain, and in 1888, 700 cars; in 1889
there were shipped 497 cars of corn, 93 of oats, 13 of barley, 40 of flax, 16 of
ground feed, 1 of flour, 120 of cattle, 75 of hogs and 2 of sheep, a total of
857 cars, the freight receipts of the office amounting to
$16,439.58.
Among the leading business
houses of the village in 1890 were: Joshua and James M. Cox, live-stock feeders
and shippers; Houghton & Son, bankers; George E. Lane, general store; W. J.
Williamson, general store; Lohman & Erlenborn, general store; B. F. Buckley,
hardware; G. L. Wagner, hardware; Bailey & Klumb, agricultural implements;
T. J. Fiegenbaum, drugs; F. Chambers & Company, drugs; Eskeldsen &
Kaufman, lumber; G. P. Chessman, grain; F. G. Chessman, grain; Cannon &
Morrissey, grain; Farmers' Alliance Business Association, grain; Hampton Roller
Mills, and others.
The village had a population in
1889-90 of about six hundred, the following were the officers and
trustees:
D. S. Woodard, chairman; J. M.
Cox, Chris. Newman, T. J. Fiegenbaum, D. M. Zook; W. C. Bailey, clerk;
George E.
Lane, treasurer.
The postoffice was removed from
Williamsport to
this place in 1879. E. L. Ingles, the postmaster in 1889, reported the business
of the office for that year as $1,039.85.
During these years there were
also tow houses of worship at this place. The Methodist Episcopal Church was
organized in 1883 with the following members: R. A. Wellman, Dora Wellman,
Eunice Young, Martha A. Maguire, Mary C. Maguire, John Douglass, Mariah
Douglass, J. H. Sauls, Mary Tyler, and Rev. W. H. Babcock as pastor. The
pastorate has been successively held by Rev. H. C. Wood in 1884, who succeeded
Rev. Babcock, Rev. D. S. Davis (1885), Rev. G. A. Hobson (1886), Rev. J. H.
Carmichael (1886), Rev. L. H. Archard (1887), D. T. Wilson (1888) and Rev. E. L.
Wells, who was assigned to this charge at the beginning of the conference year,
October 20, 1889, the church having a membership of twenty
members.
A church building was erected
in 1883 at the cost of $1,500.
The Christian Church was
organized here in 1885, and a church, 32x60 feet, was built the same year, and
dedicated June 15, 1885. The following were original members: A. G. Evans,
William Mapes, T. B. Johson, James Moore, Adam Mokler, G. C. Boyce, David
Patrick, Nelson Kutch, and Rev. A. W. Harney, pastor. Rev. Harney remained with
the church until January 1, 1890, and was succeeded by Rev. W. D. Curtis. The
church was highly prosperous and in 1890 had a membership of about
forty.
The elders were T. B. Johnson,
William Mapes and E. C. Roggy, and the deacons, S. E. Chambers, P. H. Wind, and
H. Bundegard. A flourishing Sunday school was conducted, with E. C. Roggy as
superintendent.
Star Lodge of the I.O.O.F. was
organized here November 7, 1883, with the following officers and charter
members: R. A. Wellman, N.G.; J. H. Sauls, V. G.; Daniel Westenhaver, treasurer;
A. R. Allen, secretary; J. J. Klumb, W.; J. H. Lincoln, C.; G. T. Chapman, O.
W.; G. W. Bonner, E. B. Hoyt, A. H. Chapman, A. Linsley, John Hinshaw. In a few
years the membership grew to twenty.