For over half a century the Rev. Linville J. Hall devoted himself to bringing spiritual consolation to the soul-weary and those fearful of the after-life, for he was blessed with unusual sweetness of spirit and tactful sympathy. At the same time he was effective in the more militant side of a minister’s duties, in condemning evil stirringly and fearlessly wherever he found it, in offering a constructive life program, and in demonstrating by his own life all his preachments. His ministerial activities carried him to many localities throughout the United States, but his last years were passed in his native city, Springfield, Massachusetts.
Linville J. Hall was born in Springfield on July 8, 1822, son of John and Bathsheba S. (White) Hall, and is a direct descendant of Paragon White, the first white child born in the United States. Educated in the Springfield grammar and high schools, he wished to continue his studies in a professional field and decided on the ministry, for which he studied at the Concord Biblical Institute, Concord, New Hampshire. He was ordained minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The first years of his career were passed at Brookline, New Hampshire. He was pastor at various New England churches, including one in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and East Boston, where he remained for three years. In 1873 he went to Colorado, serving as minister in Colorado City, at Central City, and other Colorado and Wyoming towns. In 1886 he was appointed chaplain of the State Penitentiary at Canyon City, Colorado, where for ten years he ministered to the spiritual wants of the inmates of that institution. His wife’s health failing, he resigned and returned to New England, where he was made chaplain of the Connecticut State Prison at Wethersfield, Connecticut, in 1896. After four years his own ill health forced his resignation and retirement from active duty. He lived in Springfield from 1900 until his death on September 23, 1910, at the age of eighty-eight, being interred in Springfield Cemetery. He was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and of the Republican party.
Linville J. Hall married (first) Mary Adams, who bore him four children: 1. Carrie, died in infancy. 2. Linvilla, died in childhood. 3. Florence, died in infancy. 4. Hiram, died at the age of four. His wife died in Waltham, Massachusetts. Mr. Hall married (second) Lydia Cushing Tower, born at Hell, Massachusetts, daughter of Moses and Olive Gould (Cushing) Tower. During her husband’s life Mrs. Hall took a helpful and constructive interest in his work both as a minister and as a worker with prisoners, and at the age of eighty-four, she is still active in Methodist work. She resides on Westminster Street, Springfield. Of the second union two children were born: 1. Lillian, who married Shukrey Sanjigan. She and her three children reside with her mother: i. Dorothy Helen, a graduate of Smith College, 1922, with the degree of A. B., then took a special course and degree at Yale. She married Rev. Ralph V. Conard, a Congregational minister, and resides in Minnesota. ii. Semmeh Hall, a graduate of Springfield High School, Burnham School at Northampton. Massachusetts, and is a student of law. iii. Linville Hall, graduate of Springfield High School and clerk in the Springfield National Bank of that city. 2. Linville Tower Hall, who died in infancy.
The Rev. Linville J. Hall was a man of gentle and loving spirit, a Christian in the finest sense. He lavished himself in his work of saving mankind spiritually, and he everywhere won love for himself and confidence in his mission. Mr. Hall wrote a book “Around the Horn in ’49,” taken from his notes in making the trip as follows: One hundred and twenty Springfield men in 1848, bought a five hundred ton sail vessel and went to the California gold rush via Cape Horn; the boat “Henry Lee’ foundered in San Francisco. The company was called the Hartford Union Mining and Trading Company.
(The Tower Family).
The Tower family to which Mrs. Hall belongs is historic in New England. The founder in America was John Tower, born in Hingham, England, where he was baptized May 17, 1609, son of Robert and Dorothy (Damon) Tower. He came to this country and located in Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1637, was made freeman in 1638, held public office there, and died February 13, 1702, at the age of ninety-three years. He married, February 13, 1638-9, Margaret Ibrook, daughter of Richard Ibrook, and she died May 15, 1700. One of their children was Jeremiah Tower, born March 9, 1645, in Hingham, who became a weaver of that town, dying there at thirty-one or thirty-two years of age. He married, October 28, 1670, Elizabeth Rowley, and their eldest son was Jeremiah Tower, born September 19, 1671, in Hingham, married on January 3, 1698-9, Hannah Hobart, daughter of John and Hannah (Burr) Hobart, also a native of Hingham, and died April 20, 1743, at the age of seventy-two. Their son, Peter, was born September 14, 1701, in Hingham, died April 21, 1768, having married on May 11, 1727, Patience Gardner, born September 3, 1703. daughter of Stephen and Sarah (Warren) Gardner. Malachi Tower, one of their eight children, was born in Hingham on March 4, 1737-8, and died April 21, 1806, having married (first), March 15, 1760, Ruth (Hayward) Wilder, widow of David Wilder and daughter of Nehemiah and Bethia (Shaw) Hayward, of Hingham, and (second), after her death, March 15. 1769, Susanna Ward, who died August 14, 1802, and (third) Susanna Hams. Malachi Tower was a soldier of the Revolutionary War. His eldest son by the first marriage was Malachi Tower, born in Hingham, April 1, 1761, who died at Lincolnville, Maine, December 15, 1833, at the age of seventy-three, having married, at Hilton, Massachusetts, August 6, 1783, Bathsheba Whetherbee. Their son, Moses Tower, born at Dedham, Massachusetts, April 5, 1785, was baptized at Hingham, September, 1785, where he lived at Great Hill and died October 31, 1862. He married at Hull, May 7, 1809, Mary Binney, daughter of Spencer and Mary (Jones) Binney, she being born at Hull June 14, 1790, and dying at Hingham June 12, 1825. He married (second) December 25, 1825, Abigail Andrews Gould, daughter of Robert and Molly (Lincoln) Gould. She was born at Hull, April 11, 1786, and died in Hingham, August 26. 1870, at the age of eighty-four. Children: 1. Mary Jones, born February 24, 1810, married, August 10, 1835, Rev. Ralph Allen and lived in Malden, Massachusetts. 2. Moses Binney, of whom further. 3. Thomas Jones, born September 29, 1818, married, July 9, 1843, Mary W. Lane. 4. John Wesley, born August 11, 1821, married, February 13, 1848, Jane Binney Reed of Hull. 5. Spencer Binney, born November 18, 1823, died May 26, 1841. A son was born of the second marriage: Abner Jones, January 19, 1827, who died May 22, 1828.
Moses Binney Tower, son of Moses and Mary (Binney) Tower, was born at Hingham, April 26, 1814, and there grew to manhood. He settled at Hull and later moved to East Boston. Massachusetts, where he was engaged in the marine service. In 1879 he moved to Auburndale, Massachusetts, having married, on June 10, 1838, at Hull, Olive Gould Cushing, born in that city, May 12, 1816, daughter of Pyam and Olive (Lovell) Cushing of Hull, and granddaughter of Perez and Ruth (Cushing) Cushing, descended from a historic Plymouth family. Perez Cushing was a Revolutionary soldier. The daughter of Moses Binney and Olive Gould (Cushing) Tower, is Lydia Cushing Tower, who married Rev. Linville J. Hall.