Sacramento County
Biographies
THOMAS BERTRAM HALL
Those who are familiar with Captain Hall's
association with the commercial advancement of Sacramento, those who had
watched with keen interest his rapid rise from an humble position in an
important wholesale house to the executive management of its entire field of
enterprise, and those who recognized his keen, silent, unobtrusive but powerful
contribution to civic prosperity, all united in bearing testimony to his
ability, intelligence and patriotism. From the year 1869, the date of his
permanent settlement in Sacramento, until his demise, which occurred in July,
1910, he was a contributor to movements for civic development, and by his high
ideals of citizenship, acute powers of discrimination, recognized leadership
and unceasing activity in the promulgation of progressive projects he won and
retained the confidence of the people, particularly of that honored class of
early settlers who were contemporaries of him and his colleagues in the sub-stantial and permanent upbuilding
of the city.
Born in Illinois January 4, 1853, Captain
Hall entertained no recollections of the place of his birth, for he was only a
few months old when his father, Richard Hall, brought the family to California
and settled in Sacramento. Richard Hall was for some time employed as a workman
in the building of the Folsom & Placerville railroad, the first in the
entire state. Receiving no pay for his long and difficult work, he became
indignant and determined to return to Illinois. Accompanied by his family he
went to San Francisco and boarded the steamer Yankee Blade, on which he sailed
down the Pacific ocean. When off the coast from Santa
Barbara the ship was wrecked and the entire family had a narrow escape from
death. Fortunately, however, they were rescued and brought to shore, and they
then returned to Sacramento. Shortly afterward he bought a farm in Sacramento county, but in 1856 he removed to Solano county and took up
a tract of raw farm land, giving his attention for years to the transformation
of the property into a productive ranch.
After having completed the studies in the
schools at Silveyville, Solano county,
and later having taken a course of study in Heald's
Business college of San Francisco, Thomas Bertram Hall returned to Sacramento in
1869 to establish himself in business. He was then sixteen years of age and his
first work was as porter in the wholesale grocery of Milliken Brothers. His
rise was almost spectacular. Within seven years the original members of the
firm had retired and he himself had become the principal man in the business.
The firm of Hall, Luhrs & Co., which began its
existence with Mr. Hall as president, and continued without change in name or
ownership up to the time of his death, has held a rank for years as one of the
most successful wholesale grocery establishments in the entire state. In
1885 Mr. Hall joined Company E of the California National Guard, and soon he
was elected captain of Company G, serving as such for ten years, when he
resigned in order that others might enjoy the honor which he had himself
appreciated. It is indicative of his character that he declined the commission
with such generous forethought.
While he made it his practice to decline
official positions, Captain Hall had served the state in an official capacity.
Twice he was urged to become a candidate for mayor, one such occasion being in
1907, when Clinton L. White finally became the Republican nominee and won the
race. At that time Captain Hall was a member of the city Republican central committee.
He was credited with being the chief supporter of Benjamin F. Catlett for city
trustee from the Sixth ward, after an exciting campaign against R. E. Callahan,
then president of the city board. On various occasions Mr. Hall served as
delegate to state and other conventions of the Republican party.
Under Governor J. H. Budd he served as a member of the board of auditors to the
state commissioner of public works, remaining on that board until Governor H.
T. Gage superseded it with a new organization. Later Mr. Hall refused a similar
position tendered him by Governor Gillett, but later on accepted the position
under Governor Pardee, on his earnest solicitation.
For years he was a member of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. As a member of
its citizens' committee he assisted in securing the Western Pacific railroad
shops for Sacramento. He acted as one of the freeholders and assisted in the
framing of the city charter. Scores of movements for the general welfare,
particularly the campaign to secure pure water for the city, received his
capable assistance. From the inception of the Orangevale Company he officiated
as its president, drew the plans and was a prime mover in launching the
gigantic work of subdivision, which is now transforming the Sacramento valley
from a vast grain-field into many small farms. The opening of the Orangevale
tract was a pioneer step in the important enterprise tending toward diversified
farming, which rapidly is populating the heart of California. He was very
active in the State Agricultural Society and was requested to accept a place as
director, but he declined the honor, giving them, however, every
assistance in his power. He owned a large farm at Marysville, devoted to
dairying, and was a breeder of Holstein cattle.
In Sacramento, March 25, 1876, occurred the marriage of Thomas Bertram Hall and Selina Agnes Govan, the latter
born in Philadelphia, Pa. They became the parents of three children. The oldest
daughter, Edna Berneice, died at the age of five
years. The son, Ward E. Hall, is cashier of Hall, Luhrs
& Co. The youngest daughter, Ethel Blanche, Mrs. Warren S. Reed, resides
with her mother. Mr. Hall is also survived by two sisters, namely: Mrs. Edward Lemoine, of Melrose, and Mrs. Daniel Goe,
of Hyampom, Trinity county. The
family residence is an attractive place at No. 1031 O street,
acquired by Captain Hall during the early years of his successful business
career and occupied by him and his wife thereafter. On July 2, 1910, he died
suddenly from heart failure, when apparently he had been enjoying a very
satisfactory convalescence after an operation and a long illness. Interment was
made in the city cemetery under the auspices of Washington Lodge, F. & A.
M., and Sacramento Commandery No. 2, K. T., in which he had officiated as eminent commander.
He was also a member of Islam Temple, N. M. S., of San Francisco. While his
life had contained little of the spectacular, it was nevertheless noteworthy,
and his death was a distinct loss to the citizenship of Sacramento. As a member
of that patriotic, loyal band of men who in the early days began the building
of the city with a view to solidarity, he is entitled to an honored place in
local annals and to the grateful remembrance of the generations that shall
enjoy the fruits of his labors.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 839-841. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.