Hamilton was was born near Hamilton, Canada, the son of Jacob Forbes and Martha Pettit. The family came to Porter County in 1854. He married Helen Shinabarger on January 26, 1868 in Porter County.

Note that Hamilton W. Forbes tombstone is inscribed with the wrong year of death. Hamlton died on December 24, 1906, not 1907.

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Hamilton W. Forbes.

Hamilton W. Forbes, one of Porter county's most influential citizens, station agent for the Baltimore & Ohio R. R. at Coburg and proprietor of a general store there, met with an untimely death along the B. & O. tracks near his home Monday night.

Mr. Forbes was engaged in placing switch lights along the track, as had been his custom for several months. He left the station about 6 o'clock and started down the track and nothing more was seen of him until his body was found about two hours later. It is presumed that the westbound passenger train, due there at 6:20 o'clock, struck him. His dead body was found about forty feet west of the crossing at the first switch light. The only mark to be found on the body was a cut on the calf of the leg.

It is the belief of relatives that he was not killed outright, but died from exposure and cold. Coroner J. C. Carson held the inquest Tuesday morning.

The deceased was 66 years of age and leaves a widow, one son and a daughter Ross Forbes and Miss Ruby Forbes, who reside at home, two brothers and a sister, Jackson Forbes of Coburg, T. H. Forbes and Mrs. McCallum of Valparaiso. Mrs. G. A. Dodge of Valparaiso is a niece.

The funeral will be held Friday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock from the home. The interment will be at Westville.

Source: The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; December 27, 1906; Volume 23, Number 39, Page 5, Column 8.