Lucinda
(Minerd) Hall
(1850-1919)
Lucinda
J. (Minerd) Hall was born on Oct. 2, 1850 in
Hexebarger near Kingwood, Somerset County, PA, the daughter of
Charles and Adaline (Harbaugh) Minerd. Her husband was a veteran of the
Civil War.
Lucinda had dark hair and brown eyes. At about age 17, she and her parents moved to a farm at nearby Nicolay, near Mill Run, Fayette County, PA.
On Dec. 19, 1872, at age 32, Lucinda married John K. Hall (1843-1908). He was the son of Garrett and Margaret (Linderman) Hall, of Fayette County, PA, and the grandson of Joseph and Mary (Matthews) Hall.
The
wedding took place at the home of Lucinda's parents, and was presided over by
Thomas Thorpe. The nuptials were announced in the old Uniontown Genius of
Liberty newspaper.
The Halls only known children died in infancy -- Lewis, date unknown, and an unnamed son, who died Feb. 24, 1874. Their foster or adopted children were Minnie Hall, John C. Hyatt and Annabelle Miller, who are thought to have survived to adulthood.
The
infant sons both
are buried at Sugarloaf Cemetery, near Ohiopyle, PA, now the property of the Western Pennsylvania
Conservancy. Photographed in 1996, both markers (seen here) have
faded badly and are barely legible -- Lewis (left) and the unnamed infant
(right).
During the Civil War, John served in Co. G of the 107th PA Volunteer Infantry. The day after his 21st birthday, on Sept. 6, 1864, he enlisted at Greensburg, PA. The month after his enlistment, however, John had already "contracted a weakness + severe pains in back caused by hard marching + exposure lying on damp wet ground...." He was treated in a hospital at City Point, VA, and later took part "in the battles of Petersburg, Hatcher's Run and Norfolk and...in several skirmishes."
Seen here is an
artist's depiction of the infamous Battle of the Crater at Petersburg (later
made famous in the Hollywood film "Cold Mountain").
The regiment pursued the enemy to Appomattox, VA, where Gen. Robert E. Lee finally surrendered. He was discharged at Washington, DC on June 6, 1865. In 1900, they went to Chicago to attend a Civil War veterans' reunion.
John
is
profiled with a short biography in Samuel T. Wiley' 1889 Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Fayette
County. The feature states that John "was educated in the common schools of the
county. He is engaged in farming and stock raising. He served four
years as constable of Stewart township, and six years as school director of the
same township."
A newspaper article once praised the Halls, saying that "There is no more hospitable home in the mountains for the hungry sportsmen than the Hall place. It might be added, too, that a stronger or deeper dyed in the wool Republican than Hall is could not be found."
The Halls owned a 168-acre farm on Sugar Loaf Mountain near Ohiopyle, Fayette County. An 1875 newspaper reported that John had seen a flock of 15 wild turkeys in his field. In 1906, a news article noted that he and a neighbor had gone to "Ursina mills to get their milling done."
Above, a rare view of Ohiopyle, with Sugar Loaf Mountain in the distance
Lucinda
appears to have enjoyed traveling to socialize and visit. An August 1906 article
in the Connellsville Daily Courier said that John "was at the
[Confluence] station today to meet his wife, who had been visiting friends at
Somerset."
Sadly,
John
died
of lung problems at age 64 on March 18, 1908. The Turkeyfoot News called
him "an honored citizen of Stewart township all of his lifetime" and
said he had "answered to his name at the final roll call at his late
home... [He] had been sick and failing all winter, and because of lung effection
the doctor could not save him."
He was buried at Fairview Cemetery (today known as Johnson's Chapel) near Confluence. The Turkeyfoot News added that his burial was attended by "a large gathering of the friends and relatives from this and the adjoining county of Somerset." His elaborately designed grave marker is seen at right.
Lucinda lived for another 11 years. By 1918, her mind had become feeble. With assistance from her brother and sisters, she was given a court-appointed guardian to protect her from becoming "the victim of designing persons..." She died on May 21, 1919 and is buried beside her husband at Johnson's Chapel.
Copyright © 2000, 2002-2004, 2007 Mark A. Miner