The Hall Families of Jasper County, Missouri

WILLIAM E. HALL.

Faithfulness to duty and strict adherence to a fixed purpose in life will do more to advance a man's interests than wealth or advantageous circumstances. The successful men of the day are they who have planned their own advancement and have accomplished it in spite of many obstacles and with a certainty that could have been attained only through their own efforts. To-day William E. Hall stands as a representative of important agricultural and mining interests in southwestern Missouri, and his splendid business ability has won him continued prosperity until he is now accounted one of the wealthy residents of Carthage.

Mr. Hall was born upon a farm in Jasper county, March 14, 1845, and represents one of the old families of North Carolina. His grandfather, Harrison Hall, was a native of North Carolina, whence he removed to Illinois at an early day in its development and there spent the remainder of his life. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Rebecca East, was also a native of the old North state. Their son, Winston Hall, the father of our subject, was born in North Carolina in 1818 and in 1837 or 3 came to Jasper county. He afterward married Jane Roberson, a native of Stokes county, North Carolina, whence she removed with her parents to this county in 1840. Here the young couple were married and then located upon a tract of unimproved land. Their home was a comfortable hewed-log house, in which they lived for a number of years. Indians were still numerous in this portion of the country, but occasioned the settlers little trouble. Many hardships and trials incident to frontier life were to be borne, however, and the task of developing a new farm was an arduous one. Mr. Hall purchased from the government two hundred and forty acres of land, and made it his home until his death in 1863. His widow died in the Lone Star state in 1869.

William E. Hall, their son, spent his early boyhood days upon his father's

Tltc & farm in Jasper county, and during that period attended a private school and later a district school, pursuing" his studies through the winter months, while in the summer season he assisted in the labors of the farm. Owing to the death of his father the management and care of the farm devolved upon him as he was the eldest son. He assumed this heavy responsibility when only eighteen years of age, and well did he discharge his duties, giving evidence of the elemental strength of his character which has since been shown in the control of important and extensive business interests. At the age of eighteen years he cast his lot with the Confederate army, and served under Generals Shelby and Standwaite and later under General Cooper, being discharged in 1865 at the close of the war. He again went to Texas, where he resided with his mother until 1869. While living there he returned to his native county and was married to Margaret C. Glasscox, who died in Texas in April, 1870. In that year he returned to Jasper county, Missouri.

For some time Mr. Hall engaged in the stock industry, buying cattle in Texas and driving them north to Jasper county, where they were wintered. In this enterprise he was associated with John S. McBride, who was afterward elected sheriff of Jasper county. In the spring of 1871 Mr. Hall located near Webb City. On the 7th of May, 1871, Mr. Hall married, the lady being Miss Martha E. Webb, daughter of John C. Webb, of Webb City, the discoverer of zinc and lead in that locality. He found those minerals upon his farm and became the pioneer miner in the industry which has brought millions of dollars into Jasper county. After his marriage Mr. Hall took up his above upon a farm in Mineral township, adjoining the home farm of his father-inlaw, who resided there until 1879. While living upon the farm Mr. Hall was elected township assessor, serving in the years 1874-5-6. In 1878 he was elected to the office of county collector, and the following year removed to Carthage to take charge of the office, which he creditably filled for two years. On the expiration of his term he became interested in mining and farming, and to his business affairs he devoted his energies with marked success. He is the owner of a fine farm of eight hundred acres under a high state of cultivation, and part of it is underlaid with zinc and lead ore. In 1883 he took up his above on the farm, remaining until 1889, when he again came to Carthage, from which place he managed his important and extensive business interests. His farm is well stocked with cattle and horses, and he has bred some of the finest trotters and saddle horses in the state. A man of resourceful ability, his efforts have been by no means confined to one line, and his sound judgment and enterprise have been important factors in the successful conduct of many enterprises. He was one of the organizers and is still a stockholder in the Central National Bank, and was one of a company of ten reliable and prominent citizens who organized and conducted the business of the Jasper County Street Railway until all of the stockholders sold out.

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hall has been blessed with the following children: John Winston, who died in his eighteenth year; Ruth, who became the wife of Harry A. Vanderford, of Nashville, Tennessee, and died in 1897; Thomas, who wedded Mary H. Hendrix, of Fayette, Missouri, and resides in Carthage; and Edward M., who is engaged in the stock business upon his father's farm. In his political affiliations Mr. Hall is a pronounced Democrat and warmly espouses the principles of the party, but has never been an aspirant for office, serving only in the local positions previously mentioned. Socially he is identified with the Masonic fraternity. He is a man of very strong convictions and his integrity stands as an unquestioned fact in his career. The business policy which he has always followed has been most commendable. He is methodical, careful and thorough, and his career is one which will bear the light of the closest investigation and scrutiny.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JUSTUS HALL, deceased. He was born in Orange county, Vt., July 7, 1811. When a child of three years his parents left that locality and lived a few years in New York State, and from there he moved to Washington county, Ohio, where our subject grew to manhood and learned the carpenter's trade. He lived at the parental home until he was twenty-one years old, when he launched out on his own account. He first engaged as drove, taking cattle to the Detroit market. In 1834 he went to Indiana and engaged at milling near Lima. He was married three years later to Miss Electa Caswell, a native of New York. In 1839 he moved to Illinois and purchased a large farm in Bureau county, where he lived, pursuing the avocation of a farmer until the gold excitement on the Pacific slope. This caused him to go overland to the gold fields of California in 1850, where he remained until 1853, when he returned to his farm and family in Illinois. Two years later they moved to Bremer county Iowa, where he kept a hotel and managed a 300 acre farm until 1860, when he became a citizen of Jasper county. Mo. He located at Avilla where he erected the first hotel ever kept in that village, acting as host of that hostelry four years, in the meantime improving a tract of land south of Avilla, which he purchased shortly after his coming to the county. He moved upon his land in 1876, thereafter devoting his time to farming and stock-raising until his death, which occurred Feb. 10, 1883. He was buried with Masonic rites, to which order he was much attached during life. His widow, three sons and three daughters, survive him. The names of his children are Lavina, wife of H. Lees; Fidelia, wife of J. J. Stemmons; Alice, wife of William Somers; George W., William W,, and Frederick U. During life Mr. Hall was a man of extraordinary energy and physical force. Though of limited education, he possessed a remarkable business talent and leaves to his heirs a fine property as the result of his enterprise and ability.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

J. I. HALL. Of the many that enter these pages none are more worthy; a self-made man entirely. He was born in Marion county, Ya., May 13, 1832. He is a son of Jordan and Matilda Hall. Our subject's parents died before he was four years old, and he lived with his uncle Jesse Hall. At the age of fourteen he hired out to team for five dollars a month and board, and got his wages raised after the first year. He drove a team until 1849, and then bought a team and teamed for himself until 1854. He then want to Iowa and entered a piece of land, and in 1855 sold it and farmer in Clayton county, Iowa, until 1870; he then came to Jasper county, Mo., and located on his present farm of 640 acres, all under fence with the exception of forty acres of timber, well worked and improved, with good buildings. Judge Hall was married to Miss Elizabeth Steel, a native of Virginia, Oct. 26, 1849. She died in Jasper county. Mo., Sept. 11, 1871. Mr. Hall married for his second wife Miss Fannie H. Wilson, who was born in County Down, Ireland, Sept. 28, 1843; was the seventh of nine children. She was married Nov. 16, 1873. By their union they have three children, named Nora H., Zemphra E., and Joseph. Mr. Hall never attended school but three months, but has improved every chance to grasp after knowledge. He has held the office of county judge the last two years, and Is one of the foremost men in the county. He started at the foot of the ladder and has made himself and is entirely self-educated. He has one of the finest farms in the county, and his reputation for fair and honest dealings has won him his large and successful business, and the confidence and esteem of all who know him.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

A. E. HALL was born in Bledsoe county, Tenn., Sept. 5, 1839, and lived in St. Clair county. 111., ten years; then moved to Jackson county and lived there until 1861; then enlisted in Company K, Fifth Illinois Cavalry, and served three years; was taken prisoner and kept in Libby prison some time; then paroled, and finally joined his regiment at Vicksburg, Miss., and was honorably discharged at the termination of his service, and returned to Illinois, but was not able to do much for two years. He was married Sept. 27, 1866, to Miss Annie Harris, who was born in Washington county Sept. 18, 1846. In 1869 our subject moved to Jasper county. Mo., and located on his present farm of 160 acres, well improved, with small orchard. Mr. and Mrs. Hall are both members of the M. E. Church. Their children's names are Louis A., Wm. S, and Jessie E.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

K. M. HALL, dealer in dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes. This house was opened in October, 1881, by Mr. K. M. Hall, and is located on the north side of the square, representing one of the largest houses in the Southwest, Mr. Hall is a native of Tennessee. His father, A. R. Hall, a merchant of Clarksville, Tennessee, is a native of Alabama, and brought up his son, R. M. Hall, in the mercantile life. He was educated at Cumberland University, located at Lebanon, Tennessee, graduating in 1874.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.