Caroline Arabella Hall (1838 – December 11, 1918) was one of the eight founders of the

National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry The National Grange, also known as The Grange and officially named The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, is a social organization in the United States that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and pol ...

, an American agricultural fraternal organization better known as The Grange or Grange Hall.

Biography

Hall was born in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

in 1838 to Hepzibah and Nathanial Hall. She played a key role in assuring that women would be on an equal footing with men from the first inception of the

Grange movement The National Grange, also known as The Grange and officially named The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, is a social organization in the United States that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and pol ...

, feeling that because the family farm included women, then so should the organization that the family would join. Aware through her rural teaching that farm women were usually isolated on the farm, she saw that the Grange would offer an important opportunity for women to expand their talents. She became

Oliver Hudson Kelley Oliver Hudson Kelley (January 7, 1826 – January 20, 1913) was one of the key founders of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, a fraternal organization in the United States.William D. Barns, "Oliver Hudson Kelley and the g ...

's assistant (she was also his niece). It was through her attention to detail and correspondence that Kelley's dream became a reality in organizing the Grange. The National Grange later dignified her vital contributions to the formation of the Order by recognizing her as co-equal with the other seven founders, stating: The city of

Carrabelle, Florida Carrabelle is a city in Franklin County along Florida's Panhandle, United States. It is located east of Apalachicola at the mouth of the Carrabelle River on the Gulf of Mexico. The population was 2,606 as of the 2020 census. History In 152 ...

, which was founded by her uncle in the late 1870s, was named after her. Hall also served as the town's first postmaster. Hall lived with her brother, Albert R. Hall for many years on a farm near Knapp, Wisconsin, and inherited it on his death in 1905."Hon. Albert R. Hall: Prominent Citizen and Legislator Passes Away"
'' The Dunn County News'' June 9, 1905; p. 1, col. 2 via

newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. It is owned by The ...

Failing health caused her to move to an apartment in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

. On October 11, 1918, she was involved in an automobile accident near

French Lick, Indiana French Lick is a town in French Lick Township, Orange County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,722 at the time of the 2020 census. History French Lick was originally a French trading post built near a spring and salt lick. A fo ...

, from which she never recovered, and she died at the age of 80 on December 11, 1918. Hall was interred at Lake Wood Cemetery in Minneapolis. A friend said of her, "She just lived being sweet and lovely to everyone." The eight founders of the Grange were

William Saunders William or Bill Saunders may refer to: Science * William Saunders (physician) (1743–1817), Scottish physician, first president of Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society * William Wilson Saunders (1809–1879), British entomologist * William Saund ...

, Francis M. McDowell, John Trimble, Aaron B. Grosh, John R. Thompson,

William M. Ireland William M. Ireland (died December 24, 1891) was one of the eight founders of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, a fraternal organization in the United States. Biography Ireland was born in Pennsylvania but lived most of his ...

, and—recognized later than the other seven—Hall.

References

External links

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Caroline Arabella Hall image
American women's rights activists Activists from Boston Road incident deaths in Indiana 1838 births 1918 deaths National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry Farmers from Wisconsin 19th-century American women farmers 19th-century American farmers {{US-activist-stub