In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1910) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From Past and present of Saline County, Missouri (1910), Portrait and biographical record of Lafayette and Saline counties, Missouri : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all (1893)
ATHEW W. HALL. The position that \ our subject holds indicates that he is a man of many parts, lie has Keen Clerk of the Circuit Court of Saline County for five years, a position that exact of a man a fair knowledge of the rules of legal practice. He must Inan accountant, for under his keeping is a large amount of book-keeping of a particular sort. He has charge of the seal of the court, and with him is the custody of all the court records, bills, declarations and pleadings. Not an insignificant position is that which our subject holds.
Mr. Hall was born at Arrow Rock, Saline County, August 16, 1853. His father, Hon. M. W. Hall, M. 1) was hern just out of Lexington, Ky., March 15, 1817, and is a son of the Rev. Nathan H. Hall, win. was for thirty years Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Lexington. Ky. Our subject's father grew to maturity and was educated at Lexington, where he acquired his degree of Doctor of Medicine in the old medical college. Later he moved to Saline. 111., where he was engaged in the practice of his profession for twelve years, and while there he was married to Miss Agnes Lester. In February, 1845, he moved to Saline County, Mo., locating at Arrow Rock, where he was soon in requisition as an experienced physician. In 1857 he moved to Ins present home, twelve miles west of Arrow Rock, and has practiced continuously, with the exception of a short time when he was a prisoner at Alton during the late war, having been captured at the Black Water surrender. Hi owns a line farm. of which he acquired the preemption papers direct from the Government. This has been the family home since 1857.
Mathew Hall spent his boyhood days on the old home farm, and acquired the rudiments of his education m the district schools. Later, he entered Westminster College, at Fulton, Mo., and then returned to Saline County to engage in farming, his tract being only a mile distant from the old homestead, where he still lives. He was elected to his present position in 1886, and in 1890 was reelected for the second time. It goes without saying, in view of his re-elections, that his incumbency of the office has been highly satisfactory.
Mr. Hall was married February 15, 1883, to Miss Minnie Woods, a daughter of the Rev. C. C. Woods, of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. They have two children whose names are John and Woods, and these they are bringing up to a noble ideal of manhood and in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject is one of a family of eight children, of whom three of the boys became physicians. The eldest is Dr. C. Lester, of Kansas City; W. E. is an attorney in Kansas City; John R. is a physician at Marshall; Louise is now Mrs. W. W. Trigg, of Boonville. Mo.; our subject, Mathew W., is next in order; Dr. T. B. is practicing at the old homestead; Florida i> the wife of W. Shackelford, of Boonville; and Etfie is Mrs. Fred W. Glover, of Kansas City. Our subject's father was a member of the State Legislature in 1861 during the memorable session that voted to carry Missouri out of the Union.
As printed in Portrait and biographical record of Lafayette and Saline counties, Missouri : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all (1893). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
HON. MATHEW WALTON HALL.
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Mathew W. Hall was born at Arrow Rock, Saline county, Missouri, on the i()tli of August, 1853, and his parents were Dr. Mathew and Ag'ues (Lester) Hall. The father was a native of Kentucky and the nicjther of Virginia, and their marriage occurred at Salem, Illinois. The subject's paternal grandfather. Nathan H. Hall, was a prominent minister of the Presbyterian church, having served his church at Aarious points in Boone county, this state, and at Columbia. He was an able and successful preacher of the Gospel and is favorably remembered by those who knew him. He entered upon the work of the ministry in Kentucky and for the longperiod of thirty years was pastor of one of the largest and most prominent churches in Lexington, subsequently movingto Missouri and locating at Columbia, where he lived until his death, which occurred at a ripe old age. Nathan H. Hall was twice married. To the first union four children were born, namely: John, a physician; Wilson, a lawyer; Emeline. who became the wife of Judge Smith; Mathew, father of the subject. To the second union were born three daughters, two of whom are deceased, the other one being- Florida, who became the wife of Mr. Tunstill and resides at San Antonio. Texas, he being now deceased.
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Mathew W. Hall was reared on the paternal homestead, to which his parents moved when he was four years old. He was reared to agricultural pursuits and during his early years of boyhood he inculcated those principles which contributed so largely to his later success. He secured his education m the common schools, completing his mental discipline at the Westminster College, at Fulton, Missouri. He remained wnth his parents until his marriage, in February, 1883. He formed a strong attachment for farming life, and was practical and industrious in his efforts. After his marriage he resided for a short time at Boonville, and then located on the farm where the family yet resides. The residence was remodeled and the farm was otherwise permanently improved, the property being developed into one of the best properties in the county. He here carried on general farming, and also gave considerable attention to the raising of live stock, in which he met wdth very gratifying success.
A stanch Democrat in politics, Mr. Hall took an active part in political affairs. In 1886 he was elected clerk of the circuit court, and so satisfactory were his services in this capacity that he was re-elected to succeed himself. At the close of his second term Mr. Hall was elected to represent his county in the state Legislature and here he won highest honors as a legislator. He served in this capacity four consecutive terms and sense on a number of important committees. He introduced a number of important bills and he was the first in Missouri to introduce a bill for the regulation of the practice of medicine and surgery, the eft'ect of the bill being to raise the standard of this profession in the state of Missouri. His last legislative term expired in 1901. xA.t intervals duringthe progress of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis Mr. Hall was associated with Mr. Waters, of Columbia, in arraneinothe agricultural exhibit at that exposition. In January, 1905, Mr. Hall was appointed by Governor Folk warden of the Missouri penitentiary, in which responsible position he served four years, or until a Republican governor was elected. After the expiration of his official term Mr. Hall returned to his farm, where he still resides. He is practical and systematic in his operations and has achieved a distinctive success as a farmer.
At Kansas City, Missouri, in February, 1883, Mr. Hall married Minnie Woods, who was born in Howard county, Missouri, in March, 1861, the daughter of Rev. Charles C. and Mary M. (Nicolds) Woods. Charles C. Woods was a native of Virginia and his wife of Howard county, Missouri. the former being a son of Samuel Houston Woods, who was of Scotch-L'ish descent and who owned a large plantation, called Freecastle. He was reared an Episcopalian in religious belief, but later in life joined the Methodist Episcopal church. About 1855 he caught the western fever and set his face towards the New Eldorado, Missouri, moving his family and possessions to this state that year. The caravan which made the long and tiresome overland trip comprised seven wagons and fifty-five people, the trip being made in safety. They located in Morgan county, where he engaged in farming-, buying a tract of land. The country at that time abounded in wild game and the pioneer larger did not suffer for the want of fresh meat. Mr. Woods successfully followed farming here until the opening of the Civil war. Three of his sons served in the army, all of whom passed safely through that terrible struggle and returned home at its close. Because of his own attitude in that struggle, he was compelled to leave the state and went to Illinois for safety. Before going he gave to each of the heads of negro families who had been in his service a tract of land and farming implements, thus starting them in life on their own account. After the close of the war Mr. Woods returned to his Missouri home and resumed farming. Eventually he sold his land and spent his remaining yeaYs at WHiitehall, his death occurring in 1876. During the early "musterings" he was elected a colonel of militia, having taken a deep interest in military affairs. To him and his wife were born seven children, of whom Charles C. was the sixth in order of birth. He was born in Virginia in July. 1848. and attended the common schools there. After completing his common school education he attended Trinity College in North Carolina and. subsequently, the Central College, at Fayette, Missouri. At the outbreak of the Civil war. in 1861. he entered the Confederate army, in which he served valiantly until the battle of Pea Ridge, in which he was taken a prisoner. Ijeing
As printed in Past and present of Saline County, Missouri (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1910. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.