Biography of Hon. Henry Hall, 1902, Grant Co., Oregon
Surnames: Hall

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An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, pub. 1902
by Western Historical Pub. Co. of Chicago. page 453

HON. HENRY HALL

Born in Dorset, England, in 1836, he there spent the years of his life until
1856, gaining the excellent training to be had in the schools of his land and
acquiring the skill of the husbandman and horticulturist. In 1859, he came to
the United States, filled with buoyant hopes and fired by a spirit of
progression and energy. His first occupation was operating a dairy for J.
Taylor in Polk county, where he continued for two years, and then in company
with his brother, William, bought the outfit and removed it to Walla Walla in
the fall of 1861. In the hard winter of 1861-62 they lost all their stock, and
the spring bringing tidings of the new diggins on Powder river, in company
with his brother, Thomas Brentz and Napoleon Nelson, Mr. Hall determined to
seek his fortune there, and soon was on the ground. He went on to Canyon City,
and there commenced mining, which occupied him until 1864. Thomas Brentz and
Mr. Hall were the builders of the first log cabin in Grant county, is the
opinion of Mr. Hall. After the time in mining, as stated, Mr. Hall and his
brother bought the farm where he is living at the present time, four miles
west from Prairie City. Their farm contained eight hundred acres, but has been
increased to two thousand five hundred acres and is well improved and stocked.
In company with his brother, Mr. Hall is still raising cattle and tilling the
soil, prosperity having attended his efforts from the beginning. In political
matters he has ever been active, and holds with the Republican party. In 1880
the people of the county called him to the office of county commissioner and
with satisfaction to all he discharged the functions of that office. From 1882
to 1885 he was state senator and did excellent service in that capacity,
holding the chairmanship of the important committee on education, and was also
a potent factor in passing the Hygiene bill and the bill against prize
fighting. Fraternally Mr. Hall is affiliated with the I.O.O.F., Lodge No. 33,
of Prairie City.

Mr. Hall was married in 1870, and has three children, John, Jennie and Egbert.
It is interesting that Mr. Hall's sons have, unaided, constructed an electric
plant that supplies the house with light, which even in these days of advanced
engineering, is a feat that is very praiseworthy. Mr. Hall believes that
Napoleon Nelson was the first man to make a trip to The Dalles with gold dust
from the new camp.