Hermon Hall to Annie Carlisle Jan 15, 1912

Waukegan Ill Jan 15/12

Anna and All,
In looking over some old letters last eve I came across one from you dated July 13th no year but know it was about 2 years ago or more

I am ashamed that I did not answer it before but you must excuse and lay it on the Wisner that is in me none of us being noted for our letter writing. I hardly ever write. (to my sisters even) only as I have had to on some business other. I do not know how much of a letter I will make out of this

Page 2

time. were much pleased to get the picture of the 4 generations and think a good picture of all as I saw Joe a few years ago. (By the way he promised to write when he left here have not heard from him direct we Sarah & I came near or was out in Minn a short time after he left there 2 years ago)
and the one of Aunt is such as I remember her of course I never saw the others but think them good ones

It is long since your folks left this state and of course you do not remember many of the people here. so any thing I might write about them would not interest you very much yet I will say for Aunts remembrance about all of the old friends and neighbors are gone mostly all dead

Page 3

Mrs Culver still lives at Grays Lake now Dan & Ruth Avery both live in Chicago Sam & John are both dead Belle (Culver) White and husband are both dead in fact I can not sort out the ones there were here at that time from those that came soon after I could go on a long letter of the changes in the people here since you went away

I was out to Mapleton this fall while there Ella got a letter from you so I heard a little of how you are there but of course only what was told me
Ella’s son John is here now been

Page 4

here about 3 weeks I think he will go back soon there is not much to do here so he is not at work and the last two weeks have been the severest winter weather we have experienced in 20 years The thermometer registering 10 from 14 below up to zero the whole time about all anyone wants to do is to keep fires I did not use to think 10 below was very cold but now it pinches I can tell you
I suppose you know that Elizabeth is in Nebraska Emmits widow lives here in town Lulu with her May is at Wheaton Ill
Marthas boy Wirt is in the west you are in correspondence with some of Ellas folks so know as much about them as I can tell you

I guess this will do for this time and if you will answer this I will try to do better for a little while afterward
Your cousin, H.W. Hall


Top of page 1, upside down

We are all well as usual and hope you are the same through Ella I heard that Aunt was enjoying good health and I hope she will continue to do so until she rounds out a century

Top of page 3, upside down

My address is on the envelope
I forgot to say there is only 3 or 4 inches of snow here nor has there been yet at any one time this winter
Hermon


Hermon Hall 1846-1916 was the son of William Hamlin Hall and Maryetta Wisner Hall. In 1872 he married Sarah Ann Dayton 1850-1935. Anna and Joe were his cousins and Aunt their mother, Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield. Hermon had three children and six grandchildren at the time he wrote this letter. I wish he'd shared something about them!

I believe this is the picture that Hermon refers to. It is a four generation picture of Roland Earl Camfield born 1898, his father, Frederick Camfield born 1874, his father, Joseph Camfield born 1847 and his mother Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield born 1817.

Earl, Fred, Joe and Sarah Ann Camfield c. 1901

John McKinnon was visiting in Illinois in 1912 and must have arrived about Christmas time in 1911. Ella wrote on 16 September 1908 that he would be traveling in Colorodo and Iowa. I have not located him on the 1910 census. It appears that he may have traveled around for quite some time.

Hermon confirms that his sister, Elizabeth Hall Belden is still in Nebraska.

Their brother, Emmit Hall died in 1904. His widow was Eva Bangs Hall 1857-1925. They had two children, Eva May Hall born 1877 and Lulu Belle Hall born 1880. Lulu was still with her mother for the 1920 census and still single at the time of the 1930 census. Eva May is not listed with her mother in either 1910 or 1920 and I have yet to find her, although she may be listed in Chicago in 1910. I believe that both daughters remained spinsters.

Martha Hall Fairman's son, Wirt Hall Fairman, Sr is another member of the family that I have some work left to do for. In 1910 he was listed on the census in Jerome, Lincoln County, ID. On the 1920 census he was living in Dixon, Lee County, IL and his son Wirt' Jr's was listed as age 4 and born in Idaho so for now I assume that he remained in Idaho until sometime between 1916 and 1920.

The Culver family may not have been related but they seem to be important to the Wisner's and Hall's.


For more see:
Carlisle - Wisner Letters
Family of William Wisner
Descendants of Maryetta Wisner
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Margie's Ancestors - McKinnon Pictures


Hall, Hermon W (Waukegan, Illinois) to “Anna and All” [Sarah Ann Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 15 January 1912. Digital Images 1-4. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1912, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Earle, Fred, Joe and Sarah Ann Camfield. Digital image privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, NY. 2008. Original photograph held by Uncle Bill, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Buchanan, MI. 1999.]