Hall, James Byron (1874-1945)

HALL

Posted By: Karon King (email)
Date: 5/19/2010 at 18:01:29

James Byron Hall
3/7/1874 - 6/18/1945
Source: John Hall and His Descendents 1753-1987 by Thomas B. and Ruth Hall Hammer; p. 166-168
James Byron HALL was born March 7, 1874 on his father's 300 acre farm located on the Steubenville Turnpike 8 miles west of Pittsburgh in Robinson Township0k, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of James HALL and Hannah (LINDSAY) HALL In the spring of 1876 James and Hannah with their three oldest children William, Byron, and Jennie moved to a 347 acre farm two miles south of Milo, Warren County, Iowa, which James HALL had looked at prior to the Civil War and purchased in 1875.

Byron married Margaret Jane GLENN August 16, 1904 in Osceola, Clark County, Iowa. Margaret Jane was born October 22, 1883 in Decatur County, the daughter of Jonathan Arthian GLENN and Hannah E. CHENOWETH. Margaret Jane died September 17, 1973 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was buried in the Milo IOOF Cemetery. Byron died in his home in Milo after a six month heart condition June 18, 1945 and was buried in the IOOF Cemetery at Milo.

Byron attended a rural school called Concord near Milo where he was considered an excellent student. In 1890 when he was 16 years old, the family moved to 501 E. 1st St. in Indianola, Warren County, Iowa, due to the illness of his father. James Hall died of cancer in 1892. His illness was thought to be caused by the poor food and living conditions at the Confederate Libbyville prisoner-of-war camp where he was held when his cavalry unit was captured by the Confederates during the Civil War. James was buried in the Indianola IOOF Cemetery.

The two years of illness together with heavy speculation in silver mine stocks left Hannah with an 80 acre improved farm and a house in town. This home was soon sold after James HALL died and with the aid of the young HALL brothers a new home was built in the north part of town near schools and Simpson College. Simpson, which was then called Blue Bird Academy, had been in operation since 1860. Hanna HALL took in an occasional roomer being close to Simpson. One of these young students was George Washington CARVER who became the well known negro scientist. Another was Frank MAYBURY who later married Jennie Hall, the oldest daughter of Hannah and James.

Byron finished his education at Blue Bird Academy. While there he played football during which he broke his shoulder and nose. His shoulder was a source of trouble for many years.

Following his formal education, Byron tried various jobs in different parts of the country. His Aunt Lyde (Eliza Jane RUTLEDGE) asked him to come to Pittsburgh to study medicine. Instead, Byron took a Sears warehouse job and probably live with Aunt Lyde or some of his THOMPSON cousins.

The heavy work at the warehouse was later thought to be the cause of Byron's enlarge heart.

Byron returned to Iowa and with brother Bill owned and operated a dray service and butcher shop in Lucas, Iowa, a booming southern Iowa mining town. It was here that he became good friends with the BOYERS and first met John L. LEWIS the renowned labor union boss of later years.

He next tried ranching in Phillipsburg in northwestern Kansas and later became a cook on a chuckwagon in Colorado. Byron then came back to the Mt. Ayre area of Iowa - Clarke, Ringgold, and Decatur Counties. It was here that he was hired by Harry HOPPER to break Missouri bought mules during which he broke a leg on a wagon box.

Mr. HOPPER was the only millionaire in Indianola for many years and owned many good farms as well as huge forest investments in Canada. Harry gave Simpson College its famous Hopper Gymnasium. Byron went into partnership with Harry HOPPER and lived on at least four of his farms over the next ten years and helped manage the rest. In 1904 Margaret Jane GLENN and Byron were married in Osceola by Rev. VAN HORN. The bride's brother, Stewart GLENN, and his wife, Bessie, stood up with them. They moved into a HOPPER farm located on the border of Clarke and Decatur Counties. Mildred was born here in 1907.
The HALL family lived on a farm south of Indianola and in a house on the Warren County Fair grounds where the famous race horse, Allerton, was stalled, belonging to Hopper, and on a farm three miles west of Milo called the CULBERTSON farm which was to belong to Byron as his share of the partnership. Mary Lucille was born here in 1911. These were good times for Byron. He had a good family, considerable investments in the HOPPER Canadian forest enterprise, and was in line to own a 240 acre farm. Harry HOPPER and Byron must have been the best of friends as he named his only son Byron, after Byron HALL.

In about 1912 Canada nationalized its forests and HOPPER enterprises were bankrupt. The farm that was to be Byron's was gone. Harry HOPPER was broke and was last known to live in California with no funds.

At age 38 Byron had to almost start over. 1913 found the family renting the 80 acre HALL farm south of Milo which he had been managing for his mother for many years. His daughter, Virginia, was born here in 1917. He also lost his second daughter, Mary Lucille during the flu epidemic of 1918. In 1920 Byron was able to rent a larger farm two miles west of Indianola known as the WALTON place. Henry WALTON was a former Milo native and a good friend. His youngest daughter, Ruth, was born here in 1920. This location would also let Mildred attend Indianola Schools.

Looking for greener pastures, Byron in 1921 purchased the HARTZLER 20 acres on the west edge of Indianola where he kept a herd of dairy cows and sold milk. He also worked at the Indianola Country Club.
From 1922 to 1931 Byron was employed by the J. M. HARLAN Lumber Yard whose owners included Jim HARLAN, a good friend of James HALL, the father of Byron. Gene HARLAN became part owner after the death of his father. Pay was only average although the job was secure and with a young family Byron bought and sold four homes in Indianola in rather rapid order. The HARTZLER place was sold in 1922 and a nearby smaller home was purchased near the SEIGLER home. In 1923 this place was sold and a home in the south part of town was purchased in the area of the former James HALL residence. In 1929 this place was sold and the home at 304 East Boston was purchased. Mildred HALL DUSDIEKER, Byron's oldest daughter, stated that each home was not quite as good as the previous one during this period.

In 1931 when Byron was 57 years of age, health problems again became an issue an the rather rigorous work at the lumber yard had to be discontinued due to serious nose bleeding that at times could not be prevented. Byron rented his home in town and rented the LAW farm in 1931 for two years.

In 1933, after managing he HALL farm near Milo for many years for his mother and then the estate since 1928, Byron bought the farm and moved back to Milo. The Indianola home was sold in 1937.

Byron and Margaret lived there until 1943 when at the age of 69 Byron retired. The HALL farm was sold and an acreage was purchased in Milo. Just three months short of his 71st birthday, Byron became ill and spent several weeks in the Mercy Hospital in Des Moines as a patient of his son-in-law, Dr. Stanley DUSDIEKER, of an apparent heart attack. Upon returning home, Byron was confined to bed until his death June 18, 1945. He was buried in the Milo IOOF Cemetery.

Byron Hall was a long time member of the United Presbyterian Church of Indianola and the Methodist Church of Milo. He was a long time member of the Indianola and Milo Masonic Lodges and a former worshipful master of the Milo lodge. He was also a member of the Indianola Order of Odd Fellows, the Farm Bureau, the Republican Party and a conservationist.

Byron often mentioned his family in California and several times paid them a visit. He would like to have joined them early in life, but felt obligated to remain in Iowa where he and Jennie were the only family left and even though she was married, he didn't want to leave her alone.