Meet the Man on the Wall

If you’re in the top, left spot of a series of photos, it often means you were first at something. Inside , Joseph Hamilton gets this prestigious spot, and he was indeed a “first”—the city’s first mayor.

Hamilton was born in Dexter, ME, in 1836. In 1855, he laid claim to 120 acres of land just south of where is today and began to farm, according to the St. Louis Park Historical Society.

In the 1880s, he was one of the main proponents on incorporating St. Louis Park as a village. His work paid off when, in 1886, St. Louis Park was incorporated. That same year, Hamilton was elected village mayor (he was the only candidate and received 36 votes), a position he would hold for eight years. After a brief hiatus, he served again from 1895 to 1897, and then again from 1899 to 1900.

Beyond being the city’s first mayor, Hamilton also established the first general store, which opened in 1886 about a mile from his farm. The store’s prices were a bit higher than downtown, but Hamilton delivered groceries right to people’s homes.

Hamilton is also said to have installed the first bathtub in the village in 1899. The trend obviously caught on.

Hamilton was married three times—his first two wives died young—and had seven children.  

If you have St. Louis Park history you'd like to share—including text, photographs and possibly video—please email local editor Michael Rose at michael.rose@patch.com.