More than three decades of successful legal practice in St. Johnsville have entitled Edward R. Hall to a conspicuous rank among the professional men of the village. He was born in Hallsville, near Fort Plain, on February 17, 1859, and is one of two sons born to Charles and Magdalene (Conrad) Hall. His father, who passed away in 1919, at the advanced age of eighty-nine, was a native of Norwich, England, who came to the United States when he was about twenty years old and located in the neighborhood of Fort Plain, where he farmed for many years. During the Civil war he served in the One Hundred and Sixty-second Regiment, New York Volunteers. Mrs. Hall was born in Luxemburg, Germany, and was brought to this country as a young child. She died in 1901. Mr. Hall's brother was George H. Hall, who died when he was twenty-three years old.
After obtaining an education in the district school of Freysbush, Edward Hall assumed charge of a country school and for four years earned his living as a school teacher. He was later able to continue his education at the Normal College, where he took the four-year classical course and with his diploma from the normal secured the position of principal of the Candor Free Academy at Candor, New York, where he remained for four years. From Candor he went to Peterboro, and there served as principal of the Evans Academy for three years. Meanwhile, the young pedagogue had been reading law during his spare hours and vacations under the direction of Weller & Moore of Fort Plain and after successfully passing his examinations was admitted to the bar in December of 1892. He entered upon the practice of his profession in St. Johnsville, where he has been located ever since, and later added a thriving insurance business to his law practice. Since 1922 he has had his son in partnership with him, under the name of E. R. Hall & Son.
In Fort Plain, in 1891, occurred the marriage of Mr. Hall and Miss Lula M. South, daughter of John Q. and Jane C. (Failing) South of that village. The family is an old one in that section, where it has been established for several generations. Mrs. Hall died in 1923, leaving besides her husband, three children: George H., who is associated with his father in business; C. Rexford; and Dorothy.
During the long period he has resided here Mr. Hall has rendered the community important public services. He was village attorney for many years and held the office of president of the board of education for five years. His political affiliations are with the republican party. Mr. Hall belongs to the St. Johnsville Reformed church and is a Mason, his connections in that order being with St. Johnsville Lodge, No. 611, A. F. & A. M. As chairman of the local legal advisory board during the World war he worked very hard to accomplish the immense amount of work assigned to that body with efficiency and dispatch and was successful in making an excellent record for himself and the board. He belongs to the Montgomery County Bar Association and through its meetings and proceedings keeps in touch with his colleagues throughout the county. He is fond of fishing and finds that in some angler's paradise he can forget the cares and responsibilities of his business and profession in the pleasure of enticing some member of the finny tribe from his lair.