The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-01-30
A LONG LIFE ENDED
John Vernon Hamilton's Long Life
Came to a Peaceful Close
After Eighty-fye Years.

~ uTSudy morning at the hour OF l
O'Clock the long and peaceful life of
John Vernon Hamilton, C olonel, as
be was popularity known, came to an
end and his spirit was waited to the
other shore to meet that of his wife,
who preceded him to the other world
25 years ago.
Several weeks ago Col. Hamilton
was taken sick at the Columbia house
with a severe cold, which, in his
feeble condition. developed into
grippe. twas evident from his ad-
vanced age that it would be a
mircale ii he would pull through.
His many friends frequently called on
him at the Columbia house an Land
lord Mclaughlin and wife did every
thing in their power to make him
grow better, while his physician
lost no opportunity to aid him
through his skill. At the colonel's
age, nearly eighty-ive. his physical
structure was not enduring and tile
disease made a rapid inroad on him.
a week ago it was seen that the end
was coming and the children Of the
colonel were sent for, Mrs. w. d.
Marsh, of Cooperstown, N. D., Q. ".
Hamilton, of Gardner, ILL.,, and E.
d. Hamilton, of MISSIONER, Lyman
county. They were at his bedside
when he passed away.
John Vernon Hamilton was horn at
Ira, N. Y, Sept. 8. 1918, and the
early part of his life was spent on his
fathers farm. When a young man
his mind and bent burned toward the
life Of a contractor and builder, and
in this capacity he erected a great
many buildings in his lifetime. He
took up the trade at Auburn, N. Y,
and studiously applied himself along
the line Of construction. He learned.
his trade thoroughly and there was
no mechanic in that part of the
country whose work stood forth more
prominently than did his. It was
the work of an honest and conscien-
tious man brought into conjunction
with mechanical ability.
In 1874, July IS, he was united in
marriage to the wife who died Is
years ago. To this union were born
five children, two of..whom died in
their infant years, and three of them
lived to e their old father pass
away.
Shortly after his marriage the col
onel moved to Fulton, N. Y, and be-
came connected with a furniture
store. He remained there a few years
and then moved to Hannibal, where
he conducted a hotel. He did not
remain there long and eventually
vent back to Fulton, where he took
up his trade and commenced the con-
suruction Of canalhoats, and in this
Icapacity the colonel attained a high
reputation. In 1858 with his family
he moved to Decatur, Mich, and
built hotel building, which bust
ness be conducted for about two
years. From that point he went a
little farther west, and located az
Minooka, ILL.,, about 30 miles south
of Chicago. At that place he built
another hotel and followed the bust
ness for ABOUT five years. He was
then attracted to the rapid growth
OF the then young Chicago ana took
his family to that city. At the now
metropolis Of the west the colonel
followed his occupation of contractor
and builder, and assisted in the build
ing up of what is today one of great
est cities in the country. One year
before the Chicago fire, in 1871, the
colonel and his family made another
step westward and located at Lone
Rock, Wis. At this place he entered
some government land and followed
farming pursuits for about 10 years.
At that time there was a western
movement to Dakota starting up and
the colonel with his family again set
his face to the west. He reached
Mitchell in the spring of 1880, the
same year that the railroad came to
this town. He went on to Kimball
and took up a piece Of government
land, and then returned to this point.
One of the first things he did was to
commence the construction Of a ho-
tel building, which he named The
Sanborn, now known as The Ray
mond. He afterwards disposed Of
this property. and the after years
of his life he has devoted his time
to taking things somewhat easy, and
looking after his farm at Kimball. In
the past eight years the colonel has
divided his time between Mitchell.
and his sons home at Gardner, ILL.,,
and his daughters at Cooperstown,
where the last days were made to, pass
in the sunshine of ease and content