Alachua County FlArchives Biographies.....Hampton, Benjamin Franklin 1864 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/flfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 June 27, 2010, 4:23 pm Source: See below Author: See below Benjamin Franklin Hampton The Hampton family is of English origin. The name is associated with the first English settlements in America in connection with Hampton Roads. The progenitors of the family in America first settled in Virginia early in the history of that colony, and their descendants gradually spread out to the Southward. In South Carolina the family has long been one of distinction, Gen. Wade Hampton, of Confederate fame, being one of its most illustrious representatives. The name is also a familiar one in Georgia. It was in Bainbridge in the latter State that Benjamin Franklin Hampton, the subject of our sketch was born, March 11, 1864. His parents were Thomas Franklin and Macy Eliza (Oliver) Hampton. His father was a merchant, and at one time clerk of the Superior Court of Decatur county, Ga. Later in life he removed to Tampa and engaged in the real estate business. On the maternal side Mr. Hampton is connected with some of the best families of North Carolina, among whom may be mentioned Chief Justice Bynum of that State. Coming of school age during the reconstruction period when school facilities in the South were poor and at a time when it was necessary for even the small boys to earn something, our subject left the school room at eleven, and at twelve went into the newspaper office of his older brother, E. M. Hampton, at Gainesville, Fla. It was here that he was grounded in the rudiments of the practical self-taught education which has been the foundation of a remarkable career. Later he was employed as clerk in a store, and then as a clerk in the United States land office in Gainesville. Here he gained a practical knowledge of the public land business of Florida and from the great bodies of wild unclaimed lands still held by the government saw the great development that might be accomplished along this line. So, after one year's service as clerk in the land office, he resigned to engage in the practice of land and mining law, which he continues up to the present time. He is also engaged in the real estate business in Gainesville. For seventeen years he has been the most prominent land and mining lawyer in Florida and has a clientelle which extends to every corner of the State. In 1893 on account of his thorough knowledge of Florida lands and prominence as an attorney of this specialty, he was appointed State selecting agent of school lands for the State, which position he still holds. The knowledge of Florida lands and titles gained while in the land office and afterwards by study in the practice of his profession has enabled him to render most valuable and timely service to the State. It has also brought him substantial reward and the State-wide recognition of his distinguished ability. During the second administration of President Cleveland, unaided, and without hope of reward, he induced Hon. Hilary A. Herbert, then Secretary of the Navy, to restore to the public domain and open for settlement and entry under the homestead laws 60,000 acres of naval reserve lands in Florida. These lands were immediately taken up by settlers, in need of homes, and proved to be some of the best farm lands in the State. Later when the great storm of Sept. 28, 1896 devastated their homes Mr. Hampton drafted a bill which was introduced by Senator Mallory and passed by Congress for the relief of the homesteaders. Mr. Hampton was also instrumental in restoring to the State 40,000 acres of indemnity school lands, in the private land claim against the United States government, known as the Forbes Purchase, after the claim had been denied by the Secretary of the Interior, given up by the lawyers in charge and abandoned by the State, and for which, according to contract, he received a fee of 8,000 acres of land. The claim was prosecuted at his own expense. It was almost entirely through his efforts that Gainesville received her first appropriation for a Federal building, and he, with J. M. Graham, gave the lot on which the building is to be erected, the lot being a part of the famous "Oak Hall" property. Mr. Hampton is one of the largest property holders in Gainesville, and is one of that city's most thorough going and public spirited citizens. He is always ready to give his time and money to any enterprise that looks to the progress and development of the community. As Secretary of the Gainesville Board of Trade he has inaugurated many enterprises which have been a credit to his ability and of permanent worth to the city. While a resident of Jacksonville he was one of four leaders who gained the victory for Gainesville in the great University contest with Lake City, in which there was a heavy draft upon both his time and means. Outside of his profession Mr. Hampton is a student of popular literature and gathers his inspiration from the perusal of such classics as Addison and Steel's Spectator, and Shakespeare. He is also a polished and forceful writer and contributes occasionally timely articles to Jacksonville and Gainesville papers. He is a prominent Elk and a member of the Episcopal church. Mr. Hampton is a democrat, well informed on the politics and affairs of the country. He believes that the most important questions confronting the American people today are the revision of the tariff and the readjustment of freight rates so that they may be put on an equitable basis, and no section will be the victim of discrimination. He was married April 6, 1900 to Harriett Whidden, daughter of Bouretta and Eli B. Whidden. They have had three children, two of whom, Mary and William Franklin Hampton, are now living. Additional Comments: Extracted from: FLORIDA EDITION MAKERS OF AMERICA AN HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WORK BY AN ABLE CORPS OF WRITERS VOL. II. Published under the patronage of The Florida Historical Society, Jacksonville, Florida ADVISORY BOARD: HON. W. D. BLOXHAM COL. FRANK HARRIS HON. R. W. DAVIS SEN. H. H. MCCREARY HON. F. P. FLEMING W. F. STOVALL C. A. CHOATE, SECRETARY 1909 A. B. CALDWELL ATLANTA, GA. 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