Long before modern highways and convenience stores, the village of Hampton played a vital role in the early settlement. Positioned along the river, Hampton served as an essential stop for travelers and settlers heading west, offering fuel for steamboats and trains, a ferry crossing, and access to much‑needed supplies at a time when weeks could pass between settlements.
During its early years, Hampton was a bustling center of commerce and industry. The village was home to potteries, lumber and grist mills, pork packing businesses, and saloons. It also featured the region’s first doctors and drug store. The surrounding river was once rich with clams and freshwater pearls, while coal mines, rail yards, river transportation, and farming provided steady work for local residents.
At the heart of this activity stood the Brettun & Black Mercantile Store, built in 1849. Constructed for just $250, the store quickly became a thriving hub of daily life in Hampton. It was the first location in the area to offer a fueling station and docks for steamboats, making it an indispensable stop for river traffic.
The historic Galena Stage Coach made regular stops at the Black Store, which also served as a post office and a popular gathering place for the community. At one point, the store kept eight barrel makers busy and supported the surrounding economy by selling locally made pottery. Farmers regularly bartered excess flour and produce in exchange for goods they could not make themselves. The store remained in operation until 1906.
Years later, the building found new life when Dorothy and Lester Stone of Stone’s Apple Barn acquired it and used it for fruit storage. Approximately 30 years ago, the Stones generously gifted the building to the Hampton Historical Society. Since then, it has been carefully restored to reflect its original function as an 1849 dry goods store and now operates as a museum preserving Hampton’s rich heritage.
Today, the Brettun and Black’s Store Museum is open to the public on the first Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m., May through October. The historic site also hosts the much‑loved Apple Fest, held annually in late September, continuing the tradition of community and connection that has defined the Black Store for generations.
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