Elias Hall.
Prominent among the farmers of Elk Township, Clayton
County, Iowa, may be mentioned the name of Mr. Hall, a
proficient and progressive agriculturist, and a man of
excellent business ability. He has a wide circle of
acquaintances and business associates, whose regard he
has won by his genial courtesy and upright life and
uniform reliability of his transactions. He engages in
agricultural pursuits upon his pleasantly situated and
highly cultivated farm, consisting of two hundred and
forty acres of valuable land. As a farmer he is
energetic, industrious and efficient and uses good
judgment in the cultivation of his land.
A native of New York, our subject was born in Warsaw,
Wyoming County, July 18, 1820, and is the son of Samuel
and Hannah ( Baker ) Hall. His grandparents, Abie and
Patience ( Fargo ) Baker, were natives of Connecticut.
The father of our subject left his home when Elias was
quite young, and he with his mother and only brother went
to live with his grandparents, where they made their home
until the death of her father and mother, which occurred
in the same year, the former in June, 1833, and the
latter January 4, 1833. After their death our subject
took charge of the farm, his mother and brother making
their home with him. In 1845 Mr. Hall sold the old
homestead and emigrated to Wisconsin, his mother and
brother, Dyer, going to Onondaga County, N. Y., where
they passed the remainder of their days.
Our subject was united in marriage February 28, 1842,
with Miss Louise Andrews, who was born in Columbia
County, N. Y., in 1822, and to this union were born three
children, Alfred, Ernest and Louise. Mrs. Hall departed
this life December 7,1850, and March 29, 1853, Mr. Hall
married Chloe Andrews; she died April 4, 1855. Our
subject next married Miss Roxana Thayer, February 18,
1857; she is the daughter of Elijah and Betsy ( Merrill )
Thayer. Mr. Hall and his present wife became parents of
four children, three living, Emma C., wife of William
Miller, Nettie and Dyer. Harriet A. died November 7,
1865, aged about two years.
Elias Hall moved to Wisconsin in 1845 and purchased some
land which he cultivated and improved. For six years he
made his home in the Badger State and then rented his
farm and went to New York. He spent two years tilling the
soil in that state and then returned to Wisconsin and
took possession of his former home. Soon after his return
his wife died; he then sold his farm and emigrated to
Iowa, settling on his present place in Elk Township. He
purchased ninety acres of wild land and set about
clearing and improving the same. He came to Iowa
traveling all the way from Wisconsin, not far from
Milwaukee, in a prairie schooner having all his earthly
possessions with him. The first thing he did upon his
arrival was to cut and haul logs with which to build a
small cabin. Mr. Hall still has some of the logs which he
has preserved as a memorial of his pioneer life.
Our subject with his family attends the Methodist Church
of Elkport, and gives liberally to the support of the
same. Politically, he is a stanch Republican and a local
leader of the party. Mr. Hall takes an interest in all
matters of public importance and is esteemed as a
substantial man of superior business ability and broad
intelligence. He was the first Township Assessor and held
that office for eight years; he served as Road Supervisor
for six years, and also as County Supervisor for six
years. He is President of the School Board, and is School
Director and School treasurer. He has given great
satisfaction to the community, where he has a host of old
time friends and acquaintances
~source: Portrait and Biographical Record
of Dubuque, Jones and Clayton Counties; Chicago: Chapman
Pub. Co., 1894; pg 467-468
~transcribed by Suzanne Terrell
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