se, but by 1852 a full-time fire chief was named. There was also some controversy around the watchman who loudly reported the time to all the town�s inhabitants every half hour, every night. Hamar also had a scrupulously enforced ordnance against smoking (pipe) without a lid in public or private.
In Hamar�s early days, the entire population consisted of young entrepreneurs, and little was needed in the way of social services. After a few years, a small number of indigent people needed support, and a poorhouse was erected.
Fires, floods and other disasters
In 1878, as the firefighting capabilities of the young town were upgraded, a fire broke out in a bakery that was put out without doing too much damage. In February 1879 at 2:00 in the morning another fire broke out after festivities, burning down an entire building that housed many historical items from town�s history. This was followed by a series of fires that left entire blocks in ashes that seemed to come to an end in 1881, when a professional fire corps was hired.
In 1860, concerns about flooding were vindicated when a late and sudden spring caused the lake to flood, peaking on about 24 June, when the street-level floor of the front properties was completely inundated. This was the worst flood recorded since 1789. By 9 July, the floods had receded. But it was not to prove the end of the calamities. In August, massive rainfall led to flash flooding in the area, putting several streets under water. This was immediately followed by unseasonably cold weather, freezing the potato crops and inconveniencing Hamar�s residents. And then, mild weather melted all the ice and accumulated snow, leading to another round of flooding. By the time a particularly cold and snow-filled winter set in, there was mostly relief about getting some stability.
In 1876, the town was scandalized by the apprehension of one Kristoffer Svartb�kken, arrested for the cold-blooded murder of 19-year old
