The Hamilton and Sweet mercantile store was opened on May 11, 1872, in Sheridan, Montana, by Thaddeus S. ("Beck") Hamilton and O.M. Sweet. In May 1876 David McCranor bought out O.M. Sweet's interest, and the name was changed to Hamilton and McCranor. During the same time, an affiliated company Hamilton, McCranor and Company also operated a store at Moose Creek, at Salisbury in partnership with Amos Purdum and at Glendale in partnership with George W. Perkins. McCranor sold the store to Hall and Hardesty in 1881. Thaddeus S. Hamilton was born in Michigan around 1835. He was in the Summit district by 1864 and owned a grocery store in Silver Bow in 1870 before becoming a partner in Hamilton and Sweet in 1872. He served as Sheridan's postmaster from 1876 to 1879, and was a county commissioner for a brief period. He later moved to Butte. O.M. Sweet owned a ranch south of Sheridan where many weddings and town functions took place. He also owned, and later sold, valuable placer ground in the Nevada District. David McCranor was a miner who came to Alder Gulch in 1863 where he was appointed sheriff, elected to the Summit Mining District in 1864, owned several mercantile businesses and located several local mines. McCranor was also originally a mining partner with T.S. Hamilton before becoming a partner in the store.