John A Hull

HULL

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 5/11/2010 at 14:11:54

The name of Hull has figured conspicuously in connection with the history of the bar of Boone county for many years, and this review adds new luster thereto. He began practice in 1894 and has advanced gradually as he has given proof of his ability to cope with the intricate and complex problems of law.
His birth occurred in Boonesboro, Iowa on March 26, 1871, and he is descend ended from Scotch, Welsh and German ancestry. The fist of the family of whom there is accurate record, was Uriah, and his wife’s name as Isabelle. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war from Virginia and his state afterward gave him a land warrant in payment for his services and he located in Rockingham county, Virginia on a high plateau. He owned the largest of three small prairies there, which the mountaineers called respectively, bull pasture, cow pasture and calf pasture, but about 1808 or 1809 he found settlers crowding him and sold his farm and moved further west, settling on the present site of Newark, Ohio where his sons cut the first trees. The journey to Oho from Virginia, was made without wagon or cart and without either path or guide. The grandfather of our subject, the Rev. Samuel Hull, was a son of this pioneer settler in the mountains of Virginia and of Licking county, Ohio. Two brothers of Rev. Samuel Hull, Dr James and George Hull, the latter born in 1779, came to Boone county, Iowa in 1849, and another brother Uriah, born in 1800 came in 1851. Numerous descendants of these brothers are still residents of this section. John A Hull, father of John A Hull Jr, was born in Terre Haute, Vigo county, Indiana, in the year 1831 and pursued his education in the public schools and in Asbury University at Greencastle, Indiana. Taking up the study of law, he was admitted tot eh bar and engaged in the practice of his profession at Madison, Tennessee. He had read law for four months at Terre Haute with Colonel R N Thompson. His uncles, above mentioned, having ventured into Boone county a few years before John A Hull Sr, joined them in 1854 and established a law office in Boonesboro. He rose to prominence as a representative of the year and for many years ranked with the distinguished lawyers of his section of the state. His death occurred June 12, 1888. His wife who bore the maiden name of Margaret Emeline Wear, was born in Madisonville, Tennessee, and died on August 15, 1907, surviving her husband for almost twenty years. They were the parents of eight children: Alice, now the widow of Henry H Leib of Boone, Mary E the widow of R M Hughes, also of Boone, Mrs Lillian C Hostetter deceased, Nannie M the wife of Charles W Barnes of Boone, Thirza who became the wife of C H Bowen and has passed away, John A of this review, and Samuel and Frank who died in infancy.
John A Hull has spent his entire life in Boone county, save for the period when he as pursuing his education elsewhere. At seventeen years o age he entered Simpson College at Indianola, Iowa and his literary training served as an excellent foundation upon which to build the superstructure of his professional knowledge. After four years devoted to classical work he entered the law department to the University of Iowa and was graduated with the class of 1894. He then began practice in Boone, where he has now remained for twenty years, and throughout this period he has been accorded a liberal practice which has gown both in volume and importance as time has passed on . It is well known that he prepares his cases with thoroughness and care and that he manifests the most conscientious zeal in protection the interests of his clients, yet he never forgets that he owes a still higher allegiance to the majesty of the law.
On September 7, 1904, Mr Hull was united in marriage to Miss Gladys Sigworth, a daughter of Dr H W Sigworth, of Anamosa, Iowa. They have become parents of three children: Thirza born October 9, 1905, John A born April 18, 1907, and Dwight Sigworth, born August 15, 1912. In his political vies MR Hull is a democrat, always staunchly supporting the principles of the party, yet never active in seeking office for himself. Fraternally he is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is well known in Boone county, and the fact that many of his warmest friends are those who have known him form his boyhood to he present time is an indication that his life has been well spent. He has made good use of this talents and opportunities and is today one of the prominent lawyers and highly respected citizens of his native county.

1914 Boone County History Book