Charles H. Hall (1880-)

HALL, BELL, DENNISTON, SMITH, BIDDICK

Posted By: IAGenWeb History Project
Date: 11/9/2005 at 07:16:45

A Narrative History
of
The People of Iowa
with
SPECIAL TREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN
EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR, INDUSTRY,
BUSINESS, ETC.
by
EDGAR RUBEY HARLAN, LL. B., A. M.
Curator of the
Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa
Volume IV
THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
Chicago and New York
1931

CHARLES H. HALL, a lawyer and a member of the Story County bar, has practiced law at Nevada, Iowa, since July, 1909. He was born at the old inland town of Peoria, in the northern part of Polk County, Iowa, on October 25, 1880, and is the son of James M. Hall and Mary J. (Bell) Hall, both of whom were natives of the State of Indiana and came to Iowa with their parents when children. The grandparents on his father's side were Henry and Dinah (McClay) Hall, who settled near the town of Mitchellville, Polk County, Iowa, in about 1855. The grandparents on his mother's side were Henry and Margaret (Grabel) Bell, and were early settlers in the northern part of Polk County, Iowa. The Halls, as a family, might be considered as a family of merchants, the grandfather, Henry Hall, having conducted a general merchandise business in the old town of Peoria about the time of the Civil war, Peoria then being a village of no little consequence in that section of the country and a very important inland trading center. James M. Hall, the father of the subject of this sketch, was also a merchant, as well as his brothers, and started his son Charles out in the same line of business. They engaged in the general merchandise business as a branch store in the town of Colo, Iowa, from about 1902 to 1906, the general management of this store being in the hands of the son Charles.

In the fall of 1906 Mr. Hall took up the study of law at Drake University and graduated from that institution with honors in June, 1909, and immediately, in the month following, put out his shingle in the county seat of his home county, Navada, Iowa, where he has been engaged in the general practice of law ever since. He has never had political ambitions and the only office of a political nature that he has ever held was that of mayor of Nevada for a period of three consecutive terms, and it is generally conceded that he acquitted himself i that position with credit. He has, during the period of years engaged in the practice of law, attracted to himself one of the largest law practices in story County and, in fact, of Central Iowa, and is well-known through-out the state among the legal profession and is recognized as a practitioner of high standing, who adheres strictly to the ethics of the profession. From a very early age in his life he has been recognized by his acquaintances as having particular ability along the lines of public speaking, and during the course in his practice of the law has developed a reputation as an outstanding public speaker and a master of the English language. While his preliminary education was somewhat limited, he having graduated from what was called the Collins High School in 1899, which was at that time only about an eighth grade education, he has been a student all of his life and has gained for himself a knowledge of most of the branches which would be considered a part of a college curriculum. His law practice is of a general nature and he is considered, by those who know, to be successful in all of its branches, the most lucrative portion of it being, however, what is called the office practice and the probate division.

He has one son, Oscar L. Hall, born July 31, 1910, at Nevada, Iowa, who is a graduate of the Nevada High School and makes his home with his father in Nevada, Iowa. Charles H. Hall has one brother, L. M. Hall, residing at Collins, Iowa, and three sisters, Clara Denniston, of Collins, Iowa; Grace Smith, of Toledo, Iowa, and Jennie Biddick, of Marion, Iowa.

Mr. Hall is a member of Nevada Masonic lodge No. 99, and also of the Twentieth Century Club, an ole-time club which has existed for about forty years, and also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

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