Misplaced Pages

John W. Hall
44th Governor of Delaware
In office January 21, 1879 – January 16, 1883
Preceded by	John P. Cochran
Succeeded by	Charles C. Stockley
Member of the Delaware Senate
In office January 6, 1867 – January 6, 1871
In office January 6, 1891 – January 23, 1892
Personal details
Born	(1817-01-01)January 1, 1817 Frederica, Delaware
Died	January 23, 1892(1892-01-23) (aged 75) Frederica, Delaware
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Caroline Warren
Occupation	Merchant
Signature

John Wood Hall (January 1, 1817 – January 23, 1892) was an American merchant and politician from Frederica, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware.

Early life and family

Hall was born in Frederica, Delaware, son of John and Henrietta Bowman Hall. He married Caroline Warren in 1842 and had four children: John Wood, Jr., Samuel Warren, Sarah Henrietta, and Caroline. They lived at 8 David Street in Frederica and were members of the Methodist Church.

Orphaned as a child, Hall worked in a candy store, and eventually saved enough money to buy the business. Not stopping with candy, he expanded into general merchandising and lumber, and then started building his own ships. In time, he had one of the largest fleets of sailing ships on the east coast, all built in Delaware. With his earnings he began buying land and ended up with over 6,000 acres (24 km) on 20 farms, becoming one of the largest landowners in the state.

Professional and political career

Hall served in the Delaware Senate during the 1867/68 session and the 1869/70 session. In 1874 he was nearly nominated for governor, but it was New Castle County's turn in the informal rotation. Finally, in 1878 he was elected Governor of Delaware, overwhelmingly defeating Kensey J. Steward, the Greenback Labor candidate. Leftover bitterness from the Civil War caused the Democratic Party to be so completely in control that the Republican Party did not even hold a convention or field a candidate. Hall served from January 21, 1879, until January 16, 1883.

The Democratic Party was the conservative party of the day, and accordingly Hall supported conservative positions. He was a strong supporter of states' rights in opposition to the increasing reach of the federal government. Then that reach was generally in support of racial equality, a concept strongly opposed by Democrats in Delaware. Hall did support the setting up of a separate state Board of Education, and an office of Insurance Commissioner. All the while he was governor he was also a director of the Farmers' Bank of Delaware, having served from 1861 until he left office in 1883. After several years out of office he returned to the Delaware Senate for the 1891/92 and 1893/94 sessions, serving there until his death.

Death and legacy

Hall died at Frederica and is buried near there at Barratt's Chapel Cemetery. His home at Frederica is a contributing property in the Frederica Historic District.

Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. Members of the Delaware General Assembly took office the first Tuesday of January. State senators have a four-year term. The governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and has a four-year term.

References

1. Sue Fox and Linda Lounsbury (1976–1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Frederica Historic District". National Park Service. and accompanying 24 photos

• Conrad, Henry C. (1908). History of the State of Delaware. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Wickersham Company.
• Martin, Roger A. (1984). A History of Delaware Through its Governors. Wilmington, Delaware: McClafferty Press.
• Martin, Roger A. (1995). Memoirs of the Senate. Newark, Delaware: Roger A. Martin.
• Scharf, John Thomas (1888). History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols. Philadelphia: L. J. Richards & Co.
• Wilson, Emerson. (1969). Forgotten Heroes of Delaware. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Deltos Publishing Company.

Images

• Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery. Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover

External links

• Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States
• Delaware’s Governors
• John W. Hall at Find a Grave
• The Political Graveyard

Places with more information

• Delaware Historical Society; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
• University of Delaware; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965

v t e Governors and lieutenant governors of Delaware
Governors	McKinly McKean Read Caesar Rodney Dickinson Cook Van Dyke T. Collins Davis Clayton Bedford Rogers Bassett Sykes D. Hall Mitchell Truitt Haslet D. Rodney Clark Molleston Stout J. Collins Caleb Rodney Haslet Thomas Paynter Polk Hazzard Bennett Polk Comegys Cooper Stockton Maull Temple Tharp Ross Causey Burton Cannon Saulsbury Ponder Cochran J. Hall Stockley Biggs Reynolds Marvil Watson Tunnell Hunn Lea Pennewill Miller Townsend Denney Robinson Buck McMullen Bacon Carvel Boggs Buckson Carvel Terry Peterson Tribbitt du Pont Castle Wolf Carper Minner Markell Carney Hall-Long (designate) Meyer (elect)
Lieutenant governors	Cannon Parker Mendinhall Ferguson Eliason Bush Anderson Hazel Corley Cooch MacCollum Carvel Bayard Rollins Buckson Lammot Tribbitt Bookhammer McGinnis Castle Woo Wolf Minner Carney Denn Hall-Long Gay (elect)

• 1817 births
• 1892 deaths
• Methodists from Delaware
• People from Kent County, Delaware
• Farmers from Delaware
• Democratic Party Delaware state senators
• Democratic Party governors of Delaware
• Burials in Kent County, Delaware
• 19th-century members of the Delaware General Assembly