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JOHN HOWARD HALL

Holding distinctive prestige among the enterprising citizens of Fayette county is John Howard Hall, whose record, here briefly outlined, is that of a man who has been the architect of his own fortune; a self-made man, who, by the exercise of talents with which nature endowed him, has successfully surmounted unfavorable environment and risen to the position he now occupies in business circles. He is a creditable representative of a sterling old Pennsylvania family and possesses many of the admirable qualities of his ancestors who figured in the history of the early days. He was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, in 1851, the son of Daniel W. And Lucinda E. (Kline) Hall, each representative of excellent families of that state. Their son, John H., assisted with the chores and general work about the home place when he became of proper age and attended the district schools during the winter months, receiving a very good primary education; however, when yet a mere boy he left the school room and began herding cattle in 1871 near Hawkeye, Iowa, having as many as twelve hundred head in one heard. He kept up his vocation as cattle herder for a period of seven years or until September, 1878, during which time he witnessed a rapid advance in the price of land in Fayette county, it being very cheap when he first came here. The life of a herdsman, though one of hardship in the main, suited his youthful tastes, for he loved adventure, the free life of the wild prairie, and enjoyed “roughing it,’ for he and his fellow herdsmen boarded themselves during the time mentioned above.

From 1878 to 1881 Mr. Hall spent in buying cattle and hogs at Fayette, Iowa, and was very successful in this, owing to his intimate knowledge of the livestock business and his industry. He then moved to Hawkeye, Fayette county, and turned his attention exclusively to buying and dealing in hogs and lost all the money he had except seven hundred dollars. Then he moved to Steamboat Rock, Hardin county, Iowa, and there bought stock for about eight month. He came to West union in the fall of 1884 and has remained here ever since, continuing to buy stock, having built up a very extensive trade and become known as one of the leading stockmen of Fayette county. He has become the owner of about one hundred and eighty acres of well improved and very productive land on which he raises all kinds of crops and feeds cattle extensively, preparing them for the feeder market. He has a cozy and well located home and everything about his place shows that he is a wide-awake farmer.

Mr. Hall was married in the fall of 1884 to Jennie C. Hoyer, representative of an excellent family of this county, and this union has resulted in the birth of two children, Lulu Madge, who married W. E. Erwin, the son’s name is Howard Hoyer Hall.

Mrs. Hall and her daughter are members of the Presbyterian church, and, politically, Mr. Hall is a Democrat.

~transcribed for the Fayette Co IAGenWeb Project by Kathy Moore