Charles Hamilton
Charles Ashworth Hamilton was born in Winnipeg on November 19, 1884. His parents were Alma Lizzie Ashworth Hamilton and Charles Edward Hamilton. Alma was from Ottawa, C.E., a lawyer, was an immigrant from Kent, England. At the time of their son's birth, C.E. was mayor of Winnipeg and attorney general of Manitoba. The family moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1884, where the elder Charles had been appointed British Vice-Consul for Minnesota. After attending high school in Saint Paul, the younger Charles enrolled in a business school. This training helped him obtain a summer job in 1905 as an assistant to the purchasing agent for the Yellowstone Park Association at Mammoth Hot Springs. Hamilton spent subsequent summers as secretary to Harry W. Child, president of the Yellowstone Park Company, which operated the hotels in the park. From 1907 Hamilton was assistant to T.E. Farrow, Superintendent of Hotels. During this time, Hamilton became friends with Huntley Child Sr., son of Harry Child. In 1915 the Klamer store at Old Faithful came on the market and was offered to Huntley, who turned it down, but who informed Hamilton of the opportunity. Hamilton bought the store for $20,000 with Huntley Child's backing. Hamilton established himself at the Klamer store, which eventually became known as "Hamilton's Lower Store", in a six-room apartment on the upper floor. His office, papered with $1,839,105.60 in checks, was called the "Million Dollar Room." After Army service during World War I, Charles Hamilton married Eva Victoria Spence in 1920.
Hamilton's sisters, Alma Sybil (Syb) Hamilton Parkes, Pauline (Pearl) Hamilton Samson and Eva (Eve) Kraebel de Greve, and cousin Laura Christine Marston d'Allemagne all worked in the stores.
Read more about this topic: Hamilton's Stores (Yellowstone National Park)
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