Israel Hall (1799-1865)

From pages 471-472 of The Good Old Time in McLean County, Illinois by Dr. E. Duis (Bloomington, IL: Leader Publishing, 1874) --

Israel W. Hall.

Israel W. Hall was born February 5, 1799, in Salem, Rockingham County, New Hampshire. His father's name was Joseph Hall, and his mother's' maiden name was Hester Woodbury.  They were both of English descent. Israel W. Hall became a shoemaker by trade. In 1834 he came to the west and settled where now the town of Danvers stands, in McLean County, Illinois. He started for the West from Nashua, New Hampshire, traveled by canal and steamboat to Detroit, Michigan, there bought a team, and came to McLean County, Illinois. In about the year 1885, Mr. Hall and Matthew Robb laid off the town of Concord, (now Danvers.) The village settled up slowly. Mr. Hall was a justice of the peace, and the first postmaster of the place. The office was called Stout's Grove Postoffice, but was changed to Danvers, which became the name of the village. The postoffice was not established until 1848 or '49, because of a postoffice at the neighboring town of Wilkesborough.

Mr. Hall was a member of the Methodist Church, and for fifteen years his house was a preaching place for that denomination.  Rev. Zadoc Hall was one of the early preachers, who held meetings there.

On the 27th of April, 1834, Israel W. Hall married Polly Stickney in Salem, N. H. He had three children, all of whom are living. They are : 

Alice W., wife of Jacob McClure, lives at St. Louis, Mo. 

Otis T. Hall lives on the honiestead place in Danvers. 

Cynthia H., wife of John Morrison, lives on a part of the homestead farm. 

Mr. Hall was about five feet and eight inches in height. He

was a good man, honest and fair-minded, and had the respect of

his neighbors. He died January 3, 1865.

Israel Hall was the full brother of my 3xg-grandfather Jeremiah S. Hall.  On our cemetery tour last summer, my son and I found Israel's gravemarker in disrepair.  Hardly befitting one of the founders of the community (click to enlarge) --

Copyright © 2014 by Kevin W. Walker