 The house was built circa 1872 by fur trader James Clark, who sold the property to Hamilton in 1873.Hamilton's state political service began while he lived in the house, as he was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1876; he served in the senate for four years and became president pro tem in 1879.In 1881, Hamilton was elected lieutenant governor under Shelby Moore Cullom; when Cullom became a U.S.