Toward the end of 1835, the Tecumseh and Blackhawk Indian tribes left northern Illinois and Wisconsin. Shortly afterwards, small settlements were being created throughout the northern portion of the prairie state. One of these settlements was Henpeck, the first home for those who established Hampshire. Henpeck was strategically located along the road to Galena along what is now US 20. Henpeck provided an ideal resting place for travelers heading west on US 20. Rowell realized that the new Chicago Pacific Railroad would have a significant impact on the area, and moved his general store to a site that is now the northeast corner of State Street and Washington Avenue. In May of 1876, the first train passed through the area, and on November 9, 1876, the Village of Hampshire was incorporated. The original settlement patterns of Hampshire are still evident. Its main commercial
development remains centered on the railroad, and residential development extends
from State Street east and west along tree-lined residential streets, south to Illinois
Route 72. Today, this part of town still serves as the Village’s primary retail and
activity hub, and is the area that most associate with Hampshire. Hampshire celebrated its 127th anniversary in November 2003. Its population has
grown to more than 3,800 people and its location, with access to rail, I-90 and major highways makes it attractive to developers and families wishing to live on the edge of the Chicago-metropolitan area. There has been steady population growth and business expansion over the past decade, and Hampshire has worked to maintain the small-town atmosphere that has attracted so many new residents while promoting new growth and development.
