Butte County
Biographies
JEFF B. HALL
JEFF B. HALL.--A highly esteemed pioneer of Butte County and a prominent business man of Chico, Jeff B. Hall is the successful and popular proprietor of the Auditorium Hotel of that city. He was born in Lancaster, Schuyler County, Mo., in 1854, a son of David and Elizabeth (Montgomery) Hall, both natives of the Blue Grass state. The father was one of the early settlers in Missouri and farmed for years.
Jeff B. Hall was the second oldest in a family of four children and when he was nine years old he accompanied his parents to Lewis County, where he attended the public schools. He later attended La Grange College, at La Grange, Lewis County, Mo., after which he entered the employ of the United States Express Company and worked for that concern until 1874, when he came to Chico, Butte County.
Upon his arrival in Butte County he was employed at farming and later engaged in various kinds of work, among which was contracting teaming. He hauled nearly all the sand used in building the original Normal School building, securing it from the Sacramento River. He also hauled all the sand used in the construction of the Park Hotel building, that sand being procured from Sandy Gulch, on Butte Creek, and from the Sacramento River.
In 1894, Mr. Hall went to Oroville and four years later opened the Union Bar in the Union Hotel, conducting the business until in February, 1913. He then became interested in the hotel business in San Francisco and moved there the following month to look after his interests there. He maintained his Oroville interests until 1915, when he sold out to devote his undivided attention to his business in San Francisco, where he carried on the hotel business until 1917, when he sold out.
On September 1, of that year, he purchased the Auditorium Hotel in Chico, took possession of it at once and ever since that time he has been conducting it as a first-class hostelry, and by his wide acquaintance throughout the state with the traveling public he has established a fine patronage.
The
marriage of Jeff B. Hall united him with Miss Marguerite Poland, born in
Arkansas but reared and educated in St. Louis. Mr. Hall, by a former marriage,
is the father of four children: Harry E., of Wyoming; Fred and Claude, both
died at Oroville; and Mrs. Susie Whitney, of Palo Alto. The life of Mr. Hall in
Butte County is distinguished by his business activity and energy well applied.
He suffered an illness some few years ago and since then has not applied
himself so steadily to hard work. In all movements for the betterment of Butte
County, either along commercial, financial or social lines, Mr. Hall is always
found at the front. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias at Chico.
Transcribed by Vicky
Walker, 1/17/08.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 632-635, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2008 Vicky
Walker.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies