The land was mostly used for hunting and some farming was done to the west, but all in all, Chatham's beginnings were rather boggy and uninviting to residents for many years.Things started to take a turn for the better in the 1860s and '70s when railroad tracks were laid nearby.This info also includes some write-ups on stores i have seen, but not actually been inside:New Boutique Africa (213 E 75t