El
Dorado County
Biographies
DANIEL T. HALL
Daniel T. Hall, now deceased, was
one of the prominent residents of Shingle and was a California pioneer of
1852. To establish a home amidst the
surroundings of a wild country, and to cope with the many privations and
hardships which were the inevitable concomitants, demanded an invincible
courage and fortitude, strong hearts and willing hands. All these were characteristic of the
pioneers, whose names and deeds should be held in perpetual reverence by those
who enjoy the fruits of their toil.
People of the present period can scarcely realize the struggles and
dangers which attended the early settlers; the heroism and self-sacrifice of
lives passed upon the borders of civilization; the hardships endured, the
difficulties overcome. Those tales of
the early days read almost like a romance to those who have known only modern
prosperity and conveniences. To the
pioneer of the early days the struggle for existence, far removed from the
privileges and conveniences of city and town, was a stern and hard one, and
those men and women must have possessed wisdom, immutable energies and sterling
worth of character, as well as marked physical courage, when they thus selected
such a life and successfully fought its battles under such circumstances as
prevailed in the west.
Mr. Hall deserves honorable mention
among the early settlers of the Golden state, for he came here less than two
years after its admission to the Union and in many ways contributed to its
upbuilding. He was born in New York on
the 2nd of July, 1825, and went to Michigan when four years
old. Hoping to benefit his financial
condition in the far west, he came to California by the way of the Nicaragua
route and settled in El Dorado County.
For a number of years he was the proprietor of the old Shingle Springs
Hotel, and also became the proprietor of the Planter House in that town, which
he conducted up to the time of his death November 4, 1894. He was a man of great energy and
determination, an indefatigable worker, and in all business relations was
strictly trustworthy. In addition to the
Planter House he was the owner of sixteen hundred acres of land and was
extensively engaged in farming and stock raising. All that he possessed was acquired through
his own efforts, and he deserves great credit for what he accomplished.
In early manhood Mr. Hall was united
in marriage to Miss Arrietta Jones, who died at the birth
of her daughter, Arrietta, who is now the wife of S.
W. Spong, of Shingle.
On the 11th of March, 1880, Mr. Hall was again married, his
second union being with Miss Lizzie Sims, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
and a daughter of Shepherd and Frances Sims, of that city. Four children were born of their union: Lawrence S., Alvin S., Avice
A. and Norvin N.
Mrs. Hall is an accomplished and
capable lady who since her husband’s death has managed the hotel, and has also
superintended the extensive farming interests in connection with the aid of her
eldest son, who like his father, is an enterprising and energetic young
man. His business ability is marked and
he deserves great credit for the capable way in which he is carrying on his
work.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 286-287. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden
Nugget Library's El Dorado County Biographies