Hampton and Hampton Beach (NH) (Postcard History)

Hampton, originally a summer village for Native Americans from the interior of New Hampshire, was founded in 1638 by a small group of Puritan farmers and fishermen. In 1840, the railroad brought the beginnings of the tourist industry to the little village. New businesses sprang up to accommodate the summer visitors arriving on the train from Boston, and the development of Hampton Beach as a resort began. The building of the street railway at the end of the nineteenth century linked the beach to towns all around the region, and Hampton became a major destination for day visitors.