Murray Orlin Hampton (1938 – 2020)
Murray Hampton was born in Nakusp, British Columbia to Frank Orld and Beatrice May (Coates) Hampton. He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Geological Engineering in 1963. He came to the Yukon and worked with Dr. Aaro Aho in the Elsa-Keno area and at Mount Nansen. He and June were married in 1965 and they moved to Faro in June 1966. Murray started work with Anvil Mining Corp as an exploration geologist. He saw the mine develop and acted in various supervisory roles until the first closure in 1985.1)
In April 1970, Faro was proclaimed a village with a Pro-Tem Committee of Vic Wilson, Murray Hampton, and Dave Gagnon. The first municipal election was held in December and the council was sworn in in January. Ed Ledauer was the mayor and the Aldermen were Gordon Whalmsley, Dave Gagnon, and Murray Hampton. In January 1972, they hired Rudy Couture as the manager and he stayed until January 1986.2)
Murray Hampton was the mayor of Faro, and president of the Association of Yukon Communities from 1982 to 1984.3) After the mine closed down the second time, Faro had a quantity of unoccupied buildings. Hampton converted a former apartment building in to a 26-room hotel and restaurant. In 2010, there was an exploration boom in the district and rooms were in demand.4) Hampton loved to travel and had visited over seventy country and seen most of Canada. He continued to work at his hotel until shortly before his death.5)