Hamden was organized in 1825, and in its early years butter was its most valuable commodity, particularly during the Civil War years, when a typical family farm of 80 to 100 acres supported 8 to 10 cows. One hundred years later, Hamden had changed from a sleepy hamlet into a busy dairy community. By 1925, refrigerated fluid milk tankers on trains allowed farmers to increase their herds and hire help to produce more milk. The 1925 New York State census counted 169 farms and 264 people working them, and the typical family farm had grown to an average of 200 acres supporting 40 to 50 cows. The dairy industry was booming along with many other businesses and cultural groups. Hamden had two feed mills and three creameries, Borden's Creamery, Ferndale Creamery, and the Hamden Co-Operative Creamery, and the town also supported three full-time ministers, two physicians, seven merchants, and 20 schoolteachers. Families joined local civic groups such as the Grange and missionary societies, Elvin L. Miller ran the Hippodrome movie theater, and the Business Men's Club published a weekly newspaper with Miss Annis Hume as managing editor. By 2013, more than fifty years had passed since the train ceased to run through town, Hamden had returned to being a sleepy little village, only six farms remained that shipped milk, and the creameries, feed mills, and district schools were gone. Its land, mountains, and river continued to attract seasonal visitors and second homeowners who enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking, and kayaking, while fresh air, serene mountain views, and clean water continued to draw people back to the area.