Pioneering in Illinois
he fathered fifteen children!


Elisha Hall +
1783 - 1838
Of the family of Hezekiah Hall, especially of the three brothers who migrated to Illinois, the statistical data on Elisha is best known: this is because of the genealogical work of a number of his descendants. His early life was lived in Bedford county Virginia. There he married Nancy Overstreet, 1793 - 1862, in 1811. From this marriage there were fifteen children - the largest family in the Hall - Overstreet families. Elisha died at Athens, Illinois November 5, 1838 at the age of fifty-five years.

From the Will of Hezekiah Hall, d. 1811, there is the record that 'Item. I give unto Elisha Hall five shillings.' This gives the impression that Elisha had been short-changed by his father. This was not so. In 1808, Hezekiah gave 'unto his son Elisha Hall, Campbell county land (formerly in Bedford county) beginning at Thomas Hall's line, west to Hezekiah's then south to Hall's line, etc.'

Campbell county was created from Bedford in 1782. Elisha was twenty-five years old in 1808. This land then was not a wedding gift for Elisha's marriage of 1811. Elisha may have been contemplating marriage at the time of the gift, although Nancy Overstreet at that time was only 15. At the time of marriage, she was 18 years of age.


Land

A later record shows that 'Elisha Hall and Nancy, his wife, sold the land to James Lancaster.'; the date was 1812. Elisha and Nancy were planning to move to Ohio. Hezekiah was dead and home ties broken. The sale would finance the move out of Virginia.
Witnesses to Hezekiah's gift to Elisha (1808) were Burwell Lee, William Hall and Thomas Hall. Lee, possibly a relative and neighbor, figures in other Hall legal records. William and Thomas were Elisha's brothers - also given land by their father. ++

Something about the years that Elisha and Nancy (Overstreet) Hall spent in Ohio are discussed in another section of this history and will not be repeated at this point. Suffice it to say, that one of their children had been born in Virginia and that others were added during the Ohio years.


Illinois

Elisha and his family were among the last to arrive in Illinois. It is thought that Old John Overstreet and his wife Nancy traveled with them. Of the Halls, Old John seemed to have the most intimate relationship with Elisha's family.
The earliest record of Elisha Hall in the Illinois country is found in Elijah Ile's Sales Ledger. Iles was a pioneer merchant at Springfield. On October 29, 1829 Old John Overstreet and Elisha were at Ile's store. John paid for an order of merchandise totaling $1.25. On the same date, Elisha purchased one-half gallon of whiskey for John. This amount of whiskey cost twenty-five cents. We hope that they got home alright as they had to cross the Sangamon River and several other streams - by fording them!

After a brief merchandising career with his brother, Abner, Elisha remained a farmer. Firmly entrenched in Illinois by 1827, he entered land as quickly as possible and those of his children who stayed in the area accumulated substantial land; these holding remaining in the family until fairly recent times. The land was just north of the present city of Athens, Illinois.

We know little of him personally, but one of his descendants referred to Nancy, his wife, as a 'saint' - a woman known for her good works. If anything, Elisha may have resembled his father, Hezekiah, a good man of the soil. However, there is some evidence that he was 'a rough' and ready character.'


1830

From the Sangamon county Commissioner' Records, 1822 - 1832, on the Monday, December 6, 1830 is found the case of The People vs. Elisha Hall and Joel Hall. (father and son)
December, the first day of 1830. The defendants fined three
dollars each for assault and battery on the body of James B.
Atwood."

Before me Geo. Power J.P.
J. Langston, Constable

This case is of historic interest as the first Sangamon County Court Hose was a building on the Power farm. This building with furnishings of the period can be seen on the Power farm near Cantrall, Illinois.


Established

The census of 1830 found Elisha well established in Sangamon county, Illinois. (He never lived in Menard county as it was formed after his death.) By 1830 he had ten children, seven boys and three girls. The Elisha Hall's were busy filling up the open spaces in the Sang-ga-ma country.

Death

In the discussion on Abner Hall is given the information of Abner's starting the probate of Elisha's estate in 1838. Elisha died intestate. Nancy became the administrator of the estate. From the Sangamo Journal, Nov. 17, 1838 we take the following legal notice:


ADMINISTRATOR'S NOTICE

The subscriber having taken out letters of administration on the estate of Elisha Hall, late of Sangamon County, deceased, gives notice that she will attend before the Probate Justice of said county at his office in Springfield on the first Monday of January next, to receive and adjust all claims against said estate. All persons endebted to said estate are requested to make immediate payment.
Nancy Hall, Administrator of Elisha Hall, deceased.
Athens, Nov. 6, 1838.

1840

The 1840 Census shows Nancy Hall now head of the family. She is now in the 40 - 50 age group and her household consists of five males and three females, excluding herself. It is a good guess that some of the older children are now on their own or at least living with other families.
In spite of the property left her by her husband, Nancy may well have had a difficult time. Again, from the search of the old Sangamon county records:



The Estate of Elisha Hall
To Nancy Hall Widow Dr.

To provisions clothing & necessaries for self & family for one year there being 12 children in family at 50 cents each per week.
It is ordered that the above a/c be allowed to Nancy Hall widow of Elisha Hall dec'd. Sept. 1st, 1841.
J. Adams P.J.P.S.C.

In other words, since there were minor children and the estate could not be closed for some years, Nancy was permitted to enter into the estate to provide for herself and family. Actually in terms of the times, plus the fact that a great deal of the living could be raised on the farm, the allowance of fifty cents per person, per week, wasn't too bad.


Property

We do not know the personal estate of Elisha, but prior to his death he had entered the following parcels of land from the government:

16 Jan. 1828 80 acres
1 Apr. 1831 80
29 Feb. 1836 80
240 acres

all in Township 18 North, Range 6 West of 3rd P.M.

Family of Elisha and Nancy (Overstreet) Hall


Born in Bedford County, Virginia
1. Adelia Hall (Hyde) b. 31 May 1812

Born in Lawrence County, Ohio
2. Keziah Hall (Jordan) b. 15 April 1813
3. Joel Wesley Hall (Ferguson) b. 4 Nov 1814
m. 12 Dec 1840
d. 17 Nov 1853
4. John Nelson Hall (Parker) b. 10 Jun 1816
m. 4 Nov 1842
d. 25 Oct 1902
5. James Pembrook Hall (Pierce) b. 1 Jul 1818
m. 1850
d. 1892
6. Lucinda Hall (Primm) b. 28 Apr 1820
m. 18 June 1839
d.
7. Sarah Hall (Patterson) b. 17 Mar 1822
m. 1840
d. 26 Aug 1912
8. Elisha Banks Hall (Parker) b. 25 Oct 1824
m.
d. 1902
9. George Hall (Short) b. 18 May 1826

Born in Sangamon County (now Menard) Illinois

10. Dabney Hall (Short) b. 5 Oct 1828
m.
d. 18 Apr 1874
11. William M. Hall b. 21 Oct 1830
d. 29 Jul 1864
12. Virginia Hall (Pierce) b. 19 June 1833
m.
d. 21 June 1925
13. Tabitha Hall (Logue) b. 13 Mar 1835
m.
d.
14. Susanannah Rogers Hall b. 23 Mar 1837
15. Nancy Jane Hall (Pierce) b. 1 Feb 1838

This is the largest Hall-Overstreet family of record. Since Elisha died in 1838, only four of the group had reached their 20th birthdate. Considerable genealogical data exists on this family.
Hall-Overstreet Families Book, VOL. 1