Born July 23, 1815, in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, a son of John Hamill, his early life was spent at hard work on the home farm, attending the neighboring schools to a limited extent. He came west and settled on a farm in Jackson township, Lee county, Iowa, in 1846, being engaged in its operation for six years. On January 30, 1838, he married Miss Nancy McCandless. It was during this time that his worth was recognized by his election to the first legislature of the state of Iowa, held at Iowa City. While always interested in public matters, Mr. Hamill was in no sense a politician, his liking being for commerce and for the pleasures of home. He removed from the farm to Keokuk in 1852 and founded the wholesale grocery. While new to business, his keen foresight enabled him to successfully surmount the panic of 1857 and subsequent panics with honor and unimpaired credit. His history was a part of the formative period of Keokuk. Mr. Hamill was a man of strong character. He belonged to the United Presbyterian church, in which for years he was an elder. A strong advocate of the temperance cause, he was an example in practicing what he preached. For a long time he was a member of the Keokuk school board. Of the many that benefited by his counsel and sound advice was the Iowa State Insurance Company, of which he was president.
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