HORACE B. HALL
Emanuel Brothers Furniture, San Francico
bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: MINER,
of Hamilton District, is the owner of a very fine vineyard of fifteen acres, located on the San Jose and Los Gatos road, near the railway crossing. He also has five acres in trees, principally prunes. Mr. Hall bought this twenty acres of choice land in 1880 when it was a part of a grain-field. He commenced at once the work of fitting his land for a vineyard, and in 1881 set the larger part of five acres with the Zinfandel grape. In 1883 he planted another five acres, one-half with Zinfandel and one-half with Charbano grapes. Two years later he set the remaining five acres with Zinfandel, Charbano, and Cabinet Frank grapes. All these varieties are good yielders, as the following estimate will show: In 1886 the vineyard produced 120 tons of grapes, which Mr. Hall had made into wine, on shares, and from which he realized a net profit of $1,100. Owing to an unusual frost, the crop of 1887 was somewhat lighter than that of the preceding year, but nearly $1,100 was received, the fruit being sold on the ground.
Mr. Hall was born in Lincoln County, Maine, May 24, 1838. He is the son of Eben Hall, who was born in the same town (Jefferson). Eben Hall, Sr., the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, served in the War of 1812. The family trace their descent through several generations of American ancestry. Horace B. Hall was reared to a farm life, but in 1861 left his native home to come to the Pacific Coast. He reached San Francisco on the fourth of August of that year, and at once entered the employ of Emanuel Brothers, furniture manufacturers. He remained with this firm eighteen years, and that he was most faithful in the discharge of all duties is shown by the fact that after the second year he was placed in charge of the manufacturing establishment as foreman, a position which he held until he left the business.
He married, in San Francisco, in August, 1870, Miss Jennie Miner, who was born of Scotch ancestry, in Nova Scotia. Her failing health was the cause of Mr. Hall's removal to Santa Clara County, which was accomplished, as before stated, in 1880. This removal did not have the desired effect, for Mrs. Hall passed from this life July 16, 1883, dying of consumption, at the age of thirty-three years. She was a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church, and died in the strong faith of the true Christian. She was the mother of five children, of whom but two sons are now living. Roy, born in 1871, is now in San Francisco, learning the machinist's trade. Norman, born in 1872, graduated at fourteen years of age at the Hamilton School, at San Jose.
Mr. Hall is
identified with the Republican party. He is an active member of various orders,
belonging to Abou Ben Adhem Lodge, No. 112, I. O. O. F., of San Francisco, and
of Unity Encampment, No. 26. He passed the chairs in the subordinate lodge, and
in the encampment, and is a member of the Grand Lodge of the State. He is also
connected with Valley Lodge, A. O. U. W., of San Francisco.
Pen Pictures From The
Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated.
- Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.
Pg. 567-568
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT