[1][2] Hamlin was born in San Francisco in 1880 and moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was 6 years old.
In 1901, he upgraded his business and began selling motorcycles, Orient Buckboards, Lozier, and Scripps-Booth automobiles.
Four years later, Hamlin became the Southern California distributor for Franklin air-cooled cars.
He would go on to become one of the most successful Franklin dealers in the United States with outlets in Hollywood, Pasadena, Glendale, and San Diego.
[5][6] Testament of his prominent status within Los Angeles' society at the time is his membership of The Uplifters social club.