Rochester Images -> Pathfinders -> Town and Village Pathfinders
-> Hamlin Living Off the Land In 1852 the town of Clarkson was
divided in half and a new town, named Union, was formed.
Although its name was new, many people had already called the
town home for several years. Aretas Hascall and his family were
noted as the town's first permanent settlers in 1806. However,
with vast swampy areas, dense forests and difficult travel
conditions the region's population grew very slowly. As a
tribute to Abraham Lincoln's first vice president, Hannibal
Hamlin, the town of Union was renamed "Hamlin" in 1861. Six
hamlets eventually bloomed within the town: Walker, North Hamlin
(also known as Thomasville), Hamlin Station, Hamlin Center,
Kendall Mills and Morton. Hamlin borders Lake Ontario and is
located in the northwest corner of Monroe County. It covers over
44 square miles, making it the county's second largest town in
terms of size. With so much land at their disposal, town
residents have utilized and beautified the