In 1836, New Yorker Nicanor Munson entered a tract of land that included the outlet of Hamilton Lake and soon sold it to the Steuben City Company, a group of New York investors who platted a town called Enterprise. When the town's growth did not meet expectations, the company sold its interest in 1844 to Sydney P. Gambia, who changed the name to Hamilton. Hamilton gained prominence in the new county, and it is claimed that Steuben County's first post office was located there. Surrounded by farms, Hamilton became a center for local trade, with businesses serving farmers who came weekly to buy and trade, and many owners operated more than one business. Its early businesses included Brown's Barber Shop, Swift Drug Store, mills on Hamilton Lake, a general store, Beecher's Tin Shop, Swift Funeral Home, and Fostz Blacksmith Shop on Bellefontaine Road. Around 1939, ice cut from Hamilton Lake was stored in large barns under sawdust and delivered in warm months for ice boxes. At the turn of the 19th century, visitors traveled by the Wabash Railroad to the Hamilton Depot, then by horse carriage to the docks, where they boarded the boats Mildred or Valle May for lake resorts. Hamilton's early timeline includes the first land purchase in 1836, establishment of a post office in 1839, the name change in 1844, construction of the Hamilton Hotel in 1850, the first church in 1852, a Wabash Railroad stop in 1893, the start of the Hamilton News in 1901, organization of Hamilton Bank in 1935, construction of the Fish Lake Hotel in 1907, and incorporation in 1914.