Hall Roberts
Hall Roberts came to Postville in 1864 and has here made his
home continuously since. Forty-nine years of residence made him a
pioneer citizen of the town, while intense and intelligently
directed activity has made him one of the foremost business men
of this section of the state. His efforts have contributed in
large measure to the substantial improvement and upbuilding of
this section of the country and at the same time have brought him
success--success so honorably won and so worthily used that the
most envious cannot grudge him his prosperity.
Mr. Roberts came from New England parentage, of the Puritan
strain. He was born at Rollinsford, New Hampshire, March 7, 1844,
and was the fifth child of Judge Hiram R. And Ruth (Hanson)
Roberts, the former born in 1806 and the latter in 1809. The
father was a successful New England farmer, who later in life
became prominent in business and political affairs, serving for
some time as judge of the probate court. He was recognized as one
of the leaders of the democratic party in his state and was a
candidate for governor on its ticket. He received a majority but
not a plurality and the election was decided by the house of
representatives, which elected a republican. Of the Baptist
church he was a livelong member and his record as an honorable
Christian gentleman, a progressive and public-spirited citizen
and a substantial business man gained for him the honor and
respect of all who knew him. He passed away in 1876 in the home
in which he was born, and was long survived by his wife, who died
in 1901, at the remarkable old age of ninety-one years. She was
of Quaker parentage.
Hall Roberts spent the days of his boyhood and youth under the
parental roof and acquired his education in the common schools.
At the age of eighteen years, however, he left home and, making
his way to the middle west, settled first at Hanover, Wisconsin,
where he had various experiences as an assistant in a blacksmith
shop, as a live-stock buyer and as a general merchant and grain
dealer. He carried on general merchandising at Hanover in 1863
and 1864, and in the latter year removed to Postville, Iowa,
where he also opened a general store. He was a partner of a Mr.
Holton, with whom he had carried on business in Wisconsin.
Together they removed their stock to Iowa and for a year and a
half the partnership was continued, not only in general
merchandising but also in grain buying.
At the end of that time Mr. Roberts purchased his partner’s
interest and continued the business alone until the spring of
1866. He was known by the farmers as the boy grain buyer, being
at that time about twenty years of age. The elevator, however,
proved an unprofitable investment and was sold by its builders,
Lawler & Reynolds, to the firm of Basset & Hunting, of
McGregor, for whom Hall Roberts became manager of the business,
conducted under the name of Hall Roberts & Company. In the
meantime, or in 1866, his brother, W. S. Roberts, had become
successor to Mr. Holton in the store, which was then conducted
under the firm style of Roberts Brothers. They remained active in
mercantile circles of the city until about 1878, when they sold
out to a third brother, F. W. Roberts. They also became factors
in financial circles of this part of the state, establishing a
private bank, which formed the nucleus of the present Postville
State Bank. The brothers continued in the banking business
together until 1888, when the partnership was dissolved. W. S.
Roberts taking over the business, with which he has been
connected for half a century. In the early ‘70s he purchased
the elevator from Basset & Huntling and since that time has
been actively connected with the grain and live-stock interests
of this part of the state, although in later years his son has
relieved him to some extent of the active management and control
of the business. Mr. Roberts is one of the directors of the
Postville State Bank and is also a stockholder in the Postville
Clay Products Company. About thirty years ago he purchased a farm
a half mile south of the town and has developed it into a modern
dairy farm, known as the Oak Ridge farm. Here he engages in the
breeding of Guernsey cattle and now has a herd of high-grade
Guernsey's, part of which are full bloods. In 1894 he erected a
silo and for the past ten years has been a successful grower of
alfalfa. In the summer of 1912 he cut seventy-five loads from
twelve acres and it is rich enough feed to be used as a
substitute for grain and mill feed for the cattle and hogs upon
his farm. In addition to his other interests Mr. Roberts owns
considerable real estate in Postville, having from time to time
made judicious investments in property. Whatever he has
undertaken he has carried forward to success and his sound
judgment and enterprise, combined with unflattering industry,
having constituted the foundation upon which he has built his
prosperity.
On the 23d of April, 1866, Mr. Roberts was united in marriage to
Miss Maria O. Easton, who was born in Martinsburg, New York,
January 21, 1846, a daughter of Harvey and Maria (Buck) Easton,
who were natives of Massachusetts but removed westward to Iowa,
becoming residents of Winneshiek county in March, 1859. The
father there engaged for some time in farming but afterward
removed to Postville, where he lived retired for several years
prior to his death, which occurred in 1878. For two decades he
had survived his wife, who passed away in 1858. Mr. and Mrs.
Roberts have become the parents of four children. Rollie died in
infancy. Harvey E., born December 2, 1871, is associated with his
father in business. Bessie Ella, born November 22, 1874, is the
wife of Dr. O., J. Blessin, a practicing physician of Postville.
Ruth, born October 30, 1882, is the wife of H. A. Templeton,
manager for the Rogers, Templeton Lumber Company of Great Falls,
Montana. The daughter Bessie has one child, Ruth Evelyn Blessin,
and Mrs. Templeton has three children, Bessie Roberts, Robert
Palmer and Hall Roberts.
During the many years of his residence in Postville Mr. Roberts
had shown himself to be an enterprising business man, with a well
merited reputation for square and honest dealing. He has always
taken an active interest in movements for the uplift and benefit
of the community. In politics he is a progressive republican and
has served as mayor of Postville. He has always worked against
the saloon element and seeks the benefit of the community along
all lines of reform, improvement and progress. He took a most
active and helpful part in driving the saloons out of Postville
in the years 1911 and 1912 and making it a temperance town. In
1876 he united with the Congregational church. Of which he has
since been an active and helpful member, serving for thirty-four
years as superintendent of its Sunday school. He belongs to
Brotherly Love Lodge, f. & A. M., of Postville, and also
holds membership with the Modern Woodmen and the Legion of Honor.
When Mr. Roberts arrived at Postville the railroad had been built
only part of the way from the river and the elevator was in
process of construction. He has lived to witness almost the
entire growth and development of the town and has played a most
important part in the promotion of its best interests along the
lines of material, social, political, intellectual and moral
progress.
-source: Past & Present of Allamakee County; by
Ellery M. Hancock; S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.; 1913
-transcribed by Diana Diedrich
Return to 1913 biographies index