Histories

Hall, Joseph B., President of the Home Insurance Company of Ohio, is a native of Canada, and was born July 4th, 1835. His father was a harness-maker, and a native of New York; is mother was a native of same State.

In 1837, when Joseph was two years old, his parents moved from Canada and settled in Jefferson county, New York. His first schooling was in an old log school-house within sight of the St. Lawrence river.

When he was nine years old his father died, leaving his family penniless. The family was broken up and the subject of our sketch was placed on a farm. Some three years afterwards his mother married a wealthy farmer and a home was offered to the scattered family, but Joseph preferred to "paddle his own canoe." Until he was fiteen years old he worked summers and attended schools winters, a portion of the time at the institute at Watertown. The obstacles he met with were the same as other boys have experienced.

At the age of fifteen he secured the much-coveted position of a clerk in a country store. He remained in this position until 1853, when he became impressed with the idea that he must "go West." In the spring of that year he found himself in Chicago, a stranger to all, but he soon found employment of E. Batchelder, wholesale dealer in dry goods. He remained in that establishment for two years, when his employer retired from business, selling his stock to Joseph, who removed the same to Lyons, Iowa, doing a prosperous business until the panic of 1857.

His businss at that time being greatly extended, it was impossible to realize on property in hand, and he, like thousands of others, was obliged to succumb; having married in the meantime the daughter of Dr. Daniel Reed, of Fulton, Illinois, he found himself poor and with a wife and babe to claim his atention. The next few years he was employed in several positions of trust, and finally settled in Aurora, Illinois.

While employed as a clerk in a dry-goods store in that city, the Aurora Fire Insurance Company, with a capital of $200,000, was organized, and he was solicited to take the management of it, which he did, and conducted the business very successfully, until the great Chicago fire of 1871 came and swallowed up his company. He "once more had the world before" him, and he decided on following the insurance business in Chicago. Opening an office in that city, he was immediately engaged by several companies to negotiate their settlements and adjust their losses.

This occupied his time until the fall of 1872; he was then made General Agent of the Home Insurance Company for the Eastern States, with head-quarters in New York city. He continued in this position until 1873, when he was elected Vice-President and Manager of the company. He then removed to Columbus, Ohio. In 1874, he was elected President, and his administration of the affairs of the company has shown his eminent fitness for the position. The Home Insurance company, like all companies doing a generall business, has had rough experiences since its organization in 1863; it has paid nearly $3,000,000 in losses, but owing to its sound management it is now in fine condition and is making rapid strides to a position second to none.

-- Biographical Encyclopedia of Ohio, Galaxy Pub. Co., Cinc. & Phila., 1876.