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Brettun and Black General Store
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Saranus I. Brettun came to Hampton in 1837. The original owners of the land decided to lay out and plat a town,
so they quit claimed their undivided interests to Sarenuss. Bill L. Brettun, who, following the usual custom, platted
the town on June 4th 1838. The Post Office Department named these 36 blocks Hampton. The town now being platted,
Mr. Brettun proceeded to deed back to each proprietor his proportionate share of lots or blocks. Mr. Brettun was
a domineering type hard to work with since he would always insist on having his own way. Few would work with him.
Twelve of the landowners were only Speculators and contributed little to advance the town. in 1838 Mr. Brettun
disposed of his many lots. He deeded lot 15 block 72 to Henry McNeal who resold it to James Harvey who erected
a two-story frame building on the site which lies directly east of Black's old store. Later this building became
a hotel, but it burned down in 1863.
In 1841 Francis Black, age 26, arrived in Hampton and opened a general store in the above mentioned frame building.
In 1846 Brettun and Francis Black erected the large two-story brick building on the northwest corner of River
and Oak Streets and together entered a general merchandise business. Steamboat transportation was important and
vital to the growth of the town, and a wharf was needed. Eight of the property owners deeded to Mr. Bretton certain
lots for him to sell. The proceeds of these lots were to be used to build the Hampton public wharf where boats
could land in all stages of water.
Mr. Brettun decided to quit the mercantile business and sold his interest in the stock to his son-in-law, Milton
H. Crapster. The business continued for a number of years when Mr. Black bought full interest and continued alone.
In 1858 Mr. Brettun sold to Francis Black his interest in the store building together with the warehouse on
the wharf and all the wharf privileges which they had enjoyed together. Along in the early '70s the old warehouse
was sold to August Anderson who utilized the material to build a barn.
Sarunus Brettun married Margaret Belcher on January 1st 1829. They had three children, a boy and two girls.
The boy drowned. (In the June 28, 2002 Argus historical listing of 150 years ago: Sam Brettun, Age 6, drowned in
the Mississippi.) Their daughter, Charlotte, married Francis Black who bore him one child, Charles. Carolyn Brettun
married Dr. Milton H. Crapster, who, later after leaving Hampton, became Captain of the U.S. Steamboat, "Lilly,"
a boat which supplied the oil for the lights on the piers on the Mississippi.
Information submitted by Mary and Rock Nelson of
the Hampton Historical Society
A History of Hampton, Illinois 1838-1938
by George McNabney
©2006, Genealogy Trails
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