Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-04
Chamberlain. south Dakota,
Plated and Put on Market
by Hampton Men
PROVED a POOR SPECULATION
The Dakota Town Didn't Grow at First
and Men Who Founded II Were Glad
to Let Go at Almost Any Price -
Later the Place Took a New Start
and is a Good City.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
! Hampton, Aug 4-The prominence
when the city of Chamberlain, South
1 Dakota, has acquired through the land
] lottery of the Rosebud agency within
/ the past two weeks brings to light the
capital which built that city. In the
year 1881 John III. King, a we'll to- do
business man OF Hampton. suggested
that party of men go to Dakota and
start town. In furtherance OF that
suggestion in the month OF August,
1881, a party OF five well known Hamp-
| ton men Went to Dakota which was
then but very sparsely inhabited. and
located the town OF Cnamoerialn. The
party consisted OF n. W. Beebe, j. H.
King, ID. w. Mott, j. T.. Stearns and
G.. q. Clemmer. They went to Mitchell
which was then the terminus OF the
Milwaukee railroad and staged it from
there on west. They secured infornia-
ton from John ID. LAWYER, who was the
son OF the right OF way agent for the
Milwaukee, as to where the road would
run. 1t being generally understood at
that time that the road would be built
further west at once There at the
present site OF Chamberlain they de-
cided to locate and speculate in land.
They plotted the town and commenced
to sell lots. All OF the parties from
here We're extensively interested in
both city property and farm lands
near there. Later they were compelled
to sell at loss. and not a man who
first helped to start the town OF Cham
berlain ever made cent on his invest
ment. The boom which was expected
by the Hampton promoters failed to
materialize and they We're glad to let
their interests there sell for almost a
song. Property there at the present
time is almost as valuable as Iowa
property and IL it had been practical
or possible TO hold until today their In
,erests there would be of great value.
j. H. King. the man who first sug-
gested this scheme. Is well known
business man at III ron. South Dakott.
having left Hampton several years ago.
N w. Beebe, who invested heavily In
Chamberlain property. is now the vices
president of the Citizens Bank OF
f1dI1plol, anu Is u wealthy IIlltl. L.
w. Mott another one OF the party, is
stock dealer OF Franklin county and
conservatively estimated to be worth
over q half a million OF dollars ].
7. Stearns is a real estate dealer at
Primgahr, Iowa. c. G.. Clemaner and
John ID. LAWYER. the other members of
the party, have both been dead for sew
eral years. Clemmer was formerly a
banker of this place.
None OF the men who comprised this
party OF six, which went to Dakota at
that time to locate town ever expect
ed to move there and live. They We're
doing 1t as a speculation. They were
all men OF some wealth and thought
they saw an opportunity to make mon
ey The plan failed, and none OF them
ever expected to see anything more
than small village as the result of
their located town. The principal
streets of Chamberlain are named after
the men who located the town. Mott |
street being the principal business
street OF the place.