Francis B Hall (1836-1917) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Francis B (Frank) Hall

Born 4 Mar 1836 in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess, New York, United States

Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]

[sibling(s) unknown]

Husband of Susan (Matthews) Hall — married 4 Oct 1871 in Buchanan, Berrien, Michigan, United States

Died 2 Jan 1917 at age 80 in Denver, Colorado, United States

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Profile last modified 5 Dec 2021 | Created 4 Dec 2021

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1 Biography
2 Sources

Biography

Birth

Frank (Francis) was born in 4 Mar 1836 in Poughkeepsie, New York. He was one of eight children.

Mother Emma Ammy Skidmore

BIRTH 7 JUL 1798 • Newtown, Conn.

DEATH 20 FEB 1891 • Syracuse, NY

Mother's Parents: Elias and Mary (Reed) Skidmore

Father Ira D Hall

BIRTH 16 APR 1799 • Dutchess County, NY

DEATH 1842 • Poughkeepsie, Dutchess, New York, USA

Parents John and Molly (Mary) (Stevens) Hall^[1]

Frank Hall: Colorado Journalist, Public Servant, and Historian

BY WALLACE B. TURNER "Frank Hall is best known for authoring a four-volume History of Colorado (1895). In addition to writing this noteworthy work on early Colorado, he was also a journalist, a territorial secretary, and a stellar citizen, whose involvement in and concern for the welfare of the region spanned almost six decades. Hall's career, however, has received little attention from historians.

Frank Hall was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, on 4 March 1836, the youngest son of Ira and Emma Hall. Three years later his father died, and Frank was sent to live with an uncle in Litchfield County, Connecticut. At the age of nine he was enrolled in William McGeorge's Academy in Kingston, New York "where he received a fair, but not a classical education. Within a few years his mother remarried and settled in Jamesville, near Syracuse. Frank joined her there for a short time and then moved to Syracuse where he resided until 1859. In the spring of that year he moved to Saint Louis, Missouri, where he was employed as a foreman of a harness and saddlery factory.

In early May 1860 he joined a group of five young men, one of whom had visited Colorado Territory the previous year. Together the group set out for the Pikes Peak region to search for gold. They traveled up the Missouri River. Forty days later they made their camp in Denver. After a few days they departed for the Gregory gold diggings

In the spring of 1862, he left Clear Creek for Gregory Gulch. Hall settled in Black Hawk and became a quartz miner, employed by the Black Hawk Gold Mining Company until the fall of 1863.

In 1863, Frank Hall was introduced to journalism when he joined Ovando J. Hollister, an experienced journalist, in publishing the Black Hawk Mining Journal, the year after the Central City Miner's Register had been established.

19 June 1864 and his letterhead proclaimed: "0.J. Hollister-Frank Hall, Newspaper, Book, and Job Printing, Office of the Colorado Mining Journal (Published Daily and Weekly, by Hollister & Hall, Black Hawk, Colorado)."

Colorado Journalist

During those early years as a Colorado journalist, Hall was also involved in territorial politics. In 1865, when hopes for statehood were high, Hall was elected to the House of Representatives of Colorado Territory.

Hall then served as territorial secretary for almost eight years, twice as long as any of the other four secretaries and for more than one-half of the total territorial period.

The Denver Daily Rocky Mountain News pointed out that during Hall's eight years almost two-thirds of the time he was acting governor as well as secretary. "He retires with a spotless public as well as personal reputation and leaves behind him a record for integrity, ability, and efficiency which has never been surpassed, and seldom equaled in this or any other territory. It will be years before this territory will have again as devoted and faithful a public officer."

In 1890 Hall was secretary of the Rocky Mountain Historical Company and P.M. Wilkerson was president. This agency was used to assist Hall in collecting material for his history.

The first volume of Hall's History of the State of Colorado from 1858 to 1890 was published in 1889 in Chicago for the Rocky Mountain Historical Company.

Volume two was published in 1890. This volume also contains a resourceful appendix that includes such items as the city officers of Denver from 1861to1889, the territorial officers from 1861 to 1875, the members of the legislative assemblies during the territorial period, the members of the constitutional convention of 1865, and a lengthy list of Colorado pioneers showing their residence, date of arrival, birthplace, and birth date.

Volume three of Hall's history, published in 1891, extended the Colorado saga to 1887.

Volume four, published in 1895, has an unorthodox arrangement."^[2]

History of Colorado Book

1860 United States Federal Census

Name: Francis B Hall Age: 25

Birth Year: abt 1835

Birth Place: New York

Home in 1860: St Louis Ward 6, St. Louis, Missouri

Occupation: Clerk

Personal Estate Value: 100

1870 United States Federal Census

Name: Frank Hall Age in 1870: 32

Birth Date: abt 1838

Birthplace: New York

Home in 1870: Central City, Gilpin, Colorado Territory

Occupation: Editor And Publisher

Personal Estate Value: 16000

Real Estate Value: 20000

Marriage 4 Oct 1871

Michigan, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1822-1940

Name: Frank Hall

Gender: Male

Marriage Date: 4 Oct 1871

Marriage Place: Buchanan, Berrien, Michigan, USA

Spouse: Susan E. Mathews

Film Number: 000945410^[3]

Susan Mathews Hall

Marriage

He wrote to her on 11 July 1873 saying that you have been to me a continual blessing. If anything should come between us to mar or destroy them [sic] the result would be well nigh fatal to me, for even if we should be separated for life I could never forget, nor cease to mourn it while I live. You are the light of my life Susie and if darkness ever comes to settle permanently over our household God help us we shall need more than human pity. I love you so entirely, if it is ever uprooted, the consequences would be to eave me without hope in this world or the one to come." ^[4]

The Aspen Weekly Chronicle, October 14, 1889

The first volume of Frank Hall s His tory of Colorado is being delivered to subscribers. To Coloradans it is valuable and interesting review of Colorado's history, so far as was intended by the author to extend in the first volume . The book is the magnificent result of the combined efforts of able writers and artist. The paper used is the finest book, and the engravings are of a superior character. There could be no more beautiful book than the Morocco bound History of Colorado. None better than old time Coloradans can imagine its interest and value.^[5]

1900 United States Federal Census

Frank Hall Age: 64

Birth Date: Mar 1836

Birthplace: New York, USA

Home in 1900: 1086 Drop St Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado

Marital Status: Married

Occupation: Journalist

Spouse's Name: Sue M Hall

Marriage Year: 1871 Years Married: 29

Father's Birthplace: New York, USA

Mother's Birthplace: New York, USA

Household Members Age Relationship

Frank Hall 64 Head

Lue (Sue) M Hall 50 Wife

Mary E Mathews 72 Mother in Law (Mother-in-law)

Mary Earle 15 Ward ^[6]

U.S., Passport Applications 30 Sep 1907

Frank Hall Age 71

Birth Date 4 Mar 1836

Birth Place Poughkeepsie, New York

Residence Place Denver, Colorado

Certificate Number 40928,^[7]

Further proof that Frank was born in 1836 not 1834, as he filled out the form.

1910 United States Federal Census

Name: Frank Hall

Age in 1910: 74

Birth Date: 1836

Birthplace: New York

Home in 1910: 1321 Columbine Street

Marital Status: Married

Spouse's Name: Suzanne M Hall

Father's Birthplace: Connecticut

Mother's Birthplace: Connecticut

Occupation: Journalist

Industry: Denver Post

Home Owned or Rented: Own

Years Married: 39

Household Members Age Relationship

Frank Hall 74 Head

Suzanne M Hall 62 Wife

Mary E Mathews 80 Mother-in-law

Charles A Parent 44 Servant^[8]

Death 2 Jan 1917

Frank Hall died in his sleep during the night of New Year's Day 1917 at his Denver home, 1321 Columbine Street.

Burial Findagrave #55374264

Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Denver County, Colorado, USA

Plot Block 32

Frank Hall Colorado, Wills and Probate Records

Name Frank Hall

Probate Date 10 Jan 1917

Probate Place

Denver, Colorado, USA

Inferred Death Date 1917

Inferred Death Place

Colorado, USA

Case Number 20272

Item Description Probate Cases 20259-20279, 1917^[9]

Historical Marker Location

The historical marker is located on Tomichi Dr. just east of Russelville Rd. on private property in Franktown, CO. It is across from the Russellville Ranch.

Russellville Ranch, in Franktown, was designated on February 3, 2004, and nominated by Norma Miller, Ruth Bandy, Matthew Lawrence and Katherine Lawrence, and is privately owned.

This area of Russellville was associated with the trail system used by travelers in the 1830s, later known as the Cherokee Trail. The Cherokee Trail extended from Taos to Ft. Laramie. In 1858, the William Green Russell party found small amounts of flour gold, which contributed to the 1859 gold rush to Colorado Territory. In 1861, Russellville became the earliest community in what would become Douglas County. The buildings on the ranch that contribute to the historical significance of the property include the c.1861 stage barn, the icehouse (which retains its original rhyolite foundation), the c.1859 springhouse, and the 1930 dairy barn/stable. Rubble from the original hotel also remains on the ranch.^[10]