The story
Read it all →How Hampton came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Hampton.
Hampton was established in 1856 and named after Hampton, New Hampshire.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
A−History
History · Hampton
Hampton dates to 1856, and 35% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 81% of U.S. towns · #46 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 28 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1870.
1856founded
6on the National Register
35%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
8famous people
Quick answers
How Hampton began
When was Hampton founded?
1856
Hampton dates its founding to 1856 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1870.
First census: 588 in 18702020 census: 4,337170 years
How historic is Hampton?
A−
What drives the grade ↓More historic than 81% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1857.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Hampton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hampton is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #46 of 140 in Iowa. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hampton’s overall grade.
Founding era1856, from Wikipedia: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194034.5% of homes (±7.9) · typical IA town 21.6% · U.S. 8.4%ANational Register6 listings, 34 historic buildings, 79.0 per 10,000 residents · typical IA town 9.1 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 81%
NewerOlder
Iowa towns of 2,500+ (140)Ahead of 68%
Iowa towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Iowa town has 9.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hampton’s 79.0 sits above most of its state (80% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 34 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.9 points). Two sources give 1856.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Hampton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1892 to 1921, drew every building in Hampton.A historic districtThe Hampton Double Square Historic District takes in 28 historic buildings.Landmarks on the Register6 places on the National Register.Old housesHalf of Hampton’s homes were built before 1955.
★ What stands out · Every building
Hampton, building by building, 1892–1921
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1892Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the National Register
6 listings protect 34 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
places listed
6
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
34
each building in a district counts
first listed
1976
Franklin County Courthouse
BuildingsDistricts
Architectural styles listings
Italianate3
Romanesque Revival2
Gothic Revival1
Octagon Mode1
Prairie School1
Late Victorian1
Franklin County CourthouseRomanesque Revival · Built 1891
Dr. O. B. Harriman HouseItalianate
Franklin County G. A. R. Soldiers' Memorial HallGothic Revival
H. E. Boehmler HousePrairie School · Built 1915
Franklin County Sheriff's Residence and JailItalianate
Hampton Double Square Historic DistrictLate Victorian
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Hampton in 1914
Passages that mention Hampton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Franklin County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement1914 · page 382Read the page →
Read the text
"This county, like many others, has passed through its contest over the location of the county seat. The commissioners made the original location about two miles south of the present town of Hampton, but this did not give general satisfaction, and the people asked the privilege of voting on the question of removal to the new town of Benjamin, subsequently changed to Hampton. April 7, 1856, a vote was taken and resulted in favor of removal. This place being near the center of the county, will doubtless remain the permanent
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Franklin County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement1914 · page 389Read the page →
Read the text
No progress was made in Hampton's laudable ambition until Monday, March 6, 1871. On that day the first election of the incorporated town of Hampton was held and the first officials elected. For the offices of mayor and recorder there was no opposition; but for trustees considerable scratching of tickets prevailed. There were 126 votes cast, of which William Raymond, candidate for mayor, received the whole number. For recorder, S. M. Jones got 123 votes; trustees, C. W. Boutin, 124; W. P. Smith, 118; D. G.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Hampton, 1856 to 1982
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 19th century
- 1856FoundingHampton is established
- 1857Post officeThe Hampton post office opens
- 1875
Born hereWilliam D. Leahy is born here - 1891BuiltFranklin County Courthouse is built
- 20th century
- 1907
In the archiveHampton, IA - 1907
Born hereJack Bailey is born here - 1912
In the archiveHotel Phoenix - 1915BuiltH. E. Boehmler House is built
- 1948Born hereTom Latham is born here
- 1976
Born hereRaef LaFrentz is born here - 1979
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey - 1982
In the archiveFranklin County Courthouse
By decade
Hampton, decade by decade
3 decades in the archive, from the 1900s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
1900s–1910s5 items
1907
1914
19161920s–1970snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album1980s1 item
1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
2016
2012
2012
2012
2004On the map
Hampton on the map, 1979 to 1984
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hampton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1979Hampton South sheet · 1:24,000U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hampton.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewHampton, IA, 1907
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Hampton’s page.
Retake this view · +15People over time
Hampton, census by census
Between 588 and 4,630 people in every census since 1870.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hampton’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
See all →8 famous people were born in Hampton
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
T
Tom LathamAmerican politician · b. 1948G
George LambertAmerican modern pentathlete, born 1928 · b. 1928A
Aaron Michael DaviesAmerican actor · b. 1984Help out
Finish Hampton’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.Questions about Hampton’s history
What year was Hampton founded?
In 1856, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hampton’s post office opened in 1857, and the census of 1870 counted 588 people here.
How does Hampton rank for history?
Hampton is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #46 of 140 in Iowa. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Hampton?
6 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Franklin County Courthouse (listed 1976, the first), and 1 historic district, the Hampton Double Square Historic District, with 28 contributing buildings. 34 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Hampton?
35% of Hampton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.9 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1955.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Start a conversation
Sources
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (9), the Library of Congress (2), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.