JOHN HALL, one of the representative and enterprising citizens of Morgan County, was born near Wartburg, April 17, 1842. His great-grandfather, SAMUEL HALL, a native of Virginia, was one of the earliest settlers on Beaver Creek, Knox County. About 1807 he removed with his family to Morgan County and entered a tract of land seven miles north of Wartburg, where he continued to reside until his death. He reared a large family of sons and daughters, all of whom were remarkable for their great height, none being under six feet. One of these, DAVID HALL, was the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, and the father of JOHN HALL, SR. The latter was born in 1818 and during his entire life was engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1841, he married MARY WILLIAMS, who died in 1883, preceding him to the grave only about a year. They had five children, of whom John is the eldest. He remained at home until March 9, 1865, when he was united in marriage with EMILY J. LANGLEY, a native of Campbell County, and daughter of E. LANGLEY, who was Captain of Company F, First Federal Tennessee Infantry. After marriage he engaged in farming and continued in that pursuit until 1870, when he opened a store in Wartburg, where he has since remained. Mr. Hall has held several important official positions and in all cases has discharged his duties with fidelity and ability. In 1867 he was appointed by the govenor, auditor of claims for Morgan County, and in 1874 was elected clerk of the county court, which position he filled for one term. He was then chosen to represent the district composed of Morgan, Fentress and Overton counties, in the Lower House of the General Assembly. He has also been twice commissioned postmaster. He is a member of Emory Lodge, No. 377, F. & A.M. His wife is a consistent member of the Methodist Church. They have three children; Mary, David and Frederick.
Source: History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present: Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of from Twenty-Five to Thirty Counties of East Tennessee. Chicago: Goodspeed, 1887.