Thomas Lee Hamlett

Thomas Lee Hamlett was born February 16, 1872 near Wood, Iowa. He died March 12, 1934 near Lamont, Iowa. He is buried near Unionville, Missouri. He married Katherine Hass ( daughter of John B. Hass ) December 25, 1901 near Unionville, Missouri. Katherine was born May 15, 1874 and she died October 25, 1931 near Lamont, Iowa and she is also buried near Unionville, Missouri. Tom ( often called T.L. ) went to Sheridan County, Nebraska with his parents in 1886 along with his brother and sister. His uncle John Hamlett and Family went there in 1888 by covered wagon, remained there several years and then Thomas returned to Iowa with them for a visit. He went back to Nebraska and in the spring of 1896, went to Missouri. Later spent a few years riding the range as a cowboy in Wyoming and Nebraska before Marrying and settling down in Missouri. In spring of 1906 he and his brother in law, Lester Burgin, chartered immigrant cars and shipped their possessions to Stanton County, Nebraska, where they operated the Bancroft Ranch one year. Lester moved to Clayton County, Iowa. Thomas remained another year, when he also moved to Clayton County, Iowa. Here he engaged in farming for a few years, then purchased and operated a hardware store in Edgewood, Iowa. Later he bought and operated a farm near Edgewood, Iowa and one near Strawberry Point, Iowa. In 1924 he bought a large farm north of Lamont, Iowa where he remained until his death. This farm is now owned and operated by his son Forest and family and now is one of the outstanding farms in Northeast Iowa. Member of the Odd Fellows and Masonic Lodges. ( the above info was taken from the book, My Virginia Kin, by Blanche Hamlett Baldridge, 1958 )

Thomas ( T.L. ) operated a hardware store in Edgewood, Iowa and I own a razor in the original box with the T.L. Hamlett Hardware label on it. It will be on display in the Edgewood, Iowa Museum ( Bart Hamlett 319-310-7615 ) T.L. Hamlett was also an auctioneer in the Edgewood area.