William H. Hall Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1308-1309 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	WILLIAM H. HALL was born in Lawrence county, Ohio, in the year 
1838. When a mere lad his parents moved to Lee county, Iowa, thence to 
the county of Polk, where he spent. his childhood and youth and enjoyed 
such educational advantages as were afforded by the pioneer schools of 
the state. After assisting his father with the work of the farm until 
his young manhood, he learned blacksmithing and later worked at the 
trade in the city of Des Moines, until reaching the age of twenty-two, 
when he wells to Colorado and engaged in the overland freighting 
business. 

	Mr. Hall spent about eight years freighting between Omaha and 
Denver and other western towns, and in 1868 went to Wyoming where he was 
similarly engaged for some time, later freighting from Corinne, Utah, to 
Boise City, Idaho, and neighboring points until 1871. In the latter year 
he went to Nevada, where he followed the same kind of work until the 
spring of 1876, when he returned to Corinne, Utah, and established a 
freight line between that place and the cities of Helena and Butte, 
Montana, continuing the business with profitable results during the 
succeeding three years. Disposing of his interests in Utah and Montana 
in 1879, Mr. Hall the following spring came to the Black Hills and began 
freighting from Deadwood to Cheyenne, but after operating for some time 
between these two points, he opened a line from the former place to 
Pierre, where he continued operations until 1885. Discontinuing 
freighting the latter year, he took up land on Alkali creek, Meade 
county, and thc next spring moved to his ranch and addressed himself to 
the task of its improvement. In a short time he had a goodly number of 
acres in cultivation, also considerable live stock, and his progress as 
an agriculturist and cattle raiser during the next few years was in 
every respect most gratifying. Mr. Hall followed farming and the cattle 
business until the year 1903, when, finding himself the possessor of a 
competency of no small magnitude, he disposed of his live-stock 
interests with the object in view of spending the remainder of his days 
in the peaceful quietude of retired life, to which his long period of 
strenuous activity so honorably entitled him. Blessed with an abundance 
of this world's goods and surrounded by everything calculated to 
minister to his comfort and enjoyment, he is now resting from his 
labors, though still managing his business affairs and keeping alive a 
keen interest in current events, besides devoting no small part of his 
attention to what concerns the welfare of the community in which he 
resides. 

	Mr. Hall has always been energetic in the performance of his 
duties, and while meeting with not a few discouragements in the course 
of his long and active experience, he has overcome the obstacles in his 
pathway and now, in the evening of life, can look back over a career 
which has been well spent and fraught with much good to himself and to 
his fellow men. He is a western man in the full meaning of the term and 
since boyhood his life has been very closely identified with this great 
section of the Union. He has done his share in promoting the varied 
interests of his adopted county and state, has always stood for progress 
and advancement and still gives his influence and encouragement to 
measures and enterprises with these ends as their object. Although past 
the meridian of life, he retains to a marked degree the possession of 
his physical and mental powers and, despite' his sixty-six years, he is 
almost as active and energetic as in the days of his prime, and still 
able to accomplish that which would tax to the utmost the strength of 
the great majority of younger men. Mr. Hall is a Democrat and for many 
years has rendered valuable service to his party, as a counsellor, 
leader and active worker in the ranks. In whatever relation of life 
considered, whether in business or social circles, he is always the same 
honorable and honored gentleman, whose intelligence, wholesome influence 
and genuine worth merits the high regard which is universally given him.