by Hall, Elvira.

See previous entry: Little Home Histories, Part 39 -- William Green.

John Hall, my paternal grandfather was born in Perquimans County, North Carolina, the 24th of 10th month 1784. He died 5th Month 22nd 1854, at the age of 70. His wife was Phebe Webster, the daughter of John and Hannah Plummer Webster, born the 24th of 11th Month 1786 in the Little Britain Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and died the 23rd of the 8th month 1855 at the age of 69.

John Hall came from Wayne County, North Carolina, to Ohio in 1805 with his father, Isaac Hall, and mother, Ann White Hall, and sister, Anna Hall. The brothers were Isaac and Moses.

The children of John and Phebe were: Cyrus, Isaac W., Thomas, John P., Nate A., Eli, Jesse and Eliza.

John, with his father and family, settled on a place about three miles west of Barnesville, Ohio. The following year, John being 21 years of age, he decided to go West, along the Valley of the Leatherwood and located a farm there. The land was covered with timber -- mostly walnut, hickory and oak. He soon built a cabin for himself, and during its construction he slept under a white oak tree. Later on, he built a brick house. finishing it in the spring of 1828. It was two stories with one story on the east side.

He was the first settler in Millwood Township. The brick for the house was burned near where the house was erected. Many squirrels played on the scaffold while the house was being built, as there were many wild animals here when he came. Deer, wolves, bear, and wild turkeys were numerous. John Hall was a fine marksman and brought down many a deer and wild turkey, which provided him with an abundance of meat.

In the fall of the year the ground would be covered with hickory nuts. The fine big walnut trees would be very valuable if we had them today, but then they layed and rotted on the ground because there was no way to make use of them.

The house had a very large fireplace and a large mantle. The fireplace would take in 5 foot logs. The windows were not unusual as they had six panes and six below. There was a fine spring, which was one inducement for him to build his cabin there. The spring house is probably 10 ft. by 20 ft. but I am not sure if it has cemented troughs. It may have been changed since my grandfather's day.

They made soft soap by leaching wood ashes. Grandfather had a maple sugar camp and made sugar. He had a trough hollowed out of a buckeye log in which he caught the maple juice and he used it as a shelter by holding it over his head when it rained. They raised some sheep and spun some wool. Some of the machinery is too far removed in time for me to remember.

John Webster moved to Ohio in the fall of 1806. Part of his family stayed with John Hall until they got their two-story log house built. It was built where the cut for the Baltimore and Ohio railroad now stands. The house was torn down to make way for the railroad.

John Webster had ten children. He bought 800 acres of land so as to give 80 acres apiece to each of his children. Part of his family stayed in the cabin with John Hall while they finished their house.

One of his daughters, Phebe, married John Hall -- thus providing a mate for the one who dared to carve his home out of the wilderness. As I said before, his principal reason for building his cabin where he did was to be near the fine spring which he had found. What kind of a spring house he built, I do not know or whether he had any at all for awhile. The one I described is the one now in existence.

Grandfather died several years before I was born. The things I know about him were told me by my Father and Uncle.

Source: Written by: Elvira Hall, Quaker City, Ohio (The only remaining grandchild of John Hall).

See next entry: Little Home Histories, Part 41 -- The Thomas Hall Home.

For the table of contents and first entry in this series, please see: Little Home Histories, Part 01 -- Table of Contents and Introduction.

This entry is adapted from Little Home Histories in Our Early Homes, Belmont County, Ohio, which was published in 1942. Its publication was coordinated by Robert D. and Beulah Patten McDonald. This entry has been reedited for inclusion in the Pierian Press Fulltext eBooks database, and is included on the Stratton House Inn Website by special permission. This entry is licensed for use ONLY on this Website. It may be used for educational purposes and personal pleasure under fair-use provisions via this Website. Please note that the Stratton House Inn iteration of this entry does NOT include the subject headings assigned each chapter for use in the Fulltext eBooks database.

DATABASE: Fulltext eBooks: Copyright (c) 2002 The Pierian Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved
ENTRY NUMBER: EBK30013740