Charles Henry Hall Charles Henry Hall, superintendent of mails, Grand Rapids post office, was born in Troy, N. Y., October 25, 1852, and is the son of Charles Joseph and Emma Louisa (Vollam) Hall, both parents native of London, England. Sometime after their marriage, which took place in London, Charles J. and Emma L. Hall came to the United States, landing in New York about the year 1830 and remaining for several years in that city. Mr. Hall at first engaged in various kinds of trading for a livelihood and later dealt in groceries until his removal to the city of Troy, where for several years he was contractor for different kinds of public work. He died in Troy, and of their ten children, eight are living at this time, Charles H. being the youngest son of the family. Mrs. Emma L. Hall died in Traverse City, Mich., in August, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Hall were members of the Established church in their native country, and continued true to the Episcopal faith after becoming residents of the United States. Mr. Hall early fell into the ways of his adopted country, became an active political worker in the democratic party and is remembered as an intelligent and exemplary in all his intercourse with his fellow men and not without a good education acquired before leaving the scenes of his native city. Charles Henry Hall remained in the city of his birth until age of twelve, attending meantime the public schools. He came to Grand Rapids, Mich., in company with an uncle, W. T. Powers, in his thirteenth year, and a few months after arrival was joined by the rest of his brothers and sisters, who concluded to make this city their future home. After a couple of years’ attendance at the city schools, young Hall found employment in a furniture factory as a scroll sawyer, and this he followed until 1873, in May of which year he accepted the position of general delivery clerk in the Grand Rapids post-office. After discharging the duties of his post for a period of six months, he was promoted to chief mailing clerk, and then to head clerk, and subsequently became superintendent of mails, a position he still fills with credit to himself and satisfaction to his superiors in the office. It is appropriate, in connection with the sketch of this old and reliable employee, to give in brief outline the gradual progress of the mail service in this city; this is gleaned from the columns of the Grand Rapids Herald, bearing date of February 23, 1898. "The oldest employee in the local post-office in point of service is Charles H. Hall, superintendent of mails and secretary of the Civil Service board. Mr. Hall entered the post-office May 28, 1873, when he was appointed to a clerkship by Hon. A. B. Turner. The office was at that time located in the Eagle building on Lynn street, and the first work he did was at the general delivery window, a position of great responsibility and requiring much hard and laborious service. The general public received their mail either through lock-drawer, call-box or general delivery. Every day, after the distribution of mail, morning and evening, there would be a solid line of callers, extending from the delivery window out to the sidewalk in front. On September 1st of the same year, the carrier service was established with a force of four men, which has since been increased to fifty; there were then eight clerks; at this time there are thirty-two. In November, 1878, the office was moved to its present location, the moving being accomplished on Saturday night after business hours by a man with a one-horse wagon, assisted by Hon. James Gallup, then postmaster, and his force of clerks and carriers. They worked the entire night, and the following forenoon, getting the mail assorted in the proper place for the regular Sunday noon delivery. The new quarters seemed then adequate for all time, but the rapid growth of the service has necessitated the addition of more cases from time to time, until the question of how long the post-office can get along in its cramped condition is daily becoming a serious matter." In January, 1874, Mr. Hall was promoted to the position of mailing clerk and continued in that capacity until 1887, when he became head clerk of the mailing division. His appointment to his present position as superintendent of mails was made on the first day of July, 1897. In June, 1889, during the late Hon. James Blair’s term as postmaster, the office was included in the classified list of civil service, and at that time the members of the United States Civil Service commission, consisting of Hon. Charles Lyman, Theodore Roosevelt and Hugh Thompson, visited Grand Rapids and appointed a local board of examiners, of which Mr. Hall was made secretary, a position which he has since filled. In all of his official relations Mr. Hall has acquitted himself to the satisfaction of the department and his long retention in responsible capacities is a compliment to his ability as a faithful and painstaking public servant. Mr. Hall was married June 14, 1877, to Gertrude Slocum, a native of Brooklyn, N. Y. Mrs. Hall was born November 18, 1854, and she is a daughter of William R. Slocum. She has borne her husband three children, namely, Florence S., a graduate of the university of Michigan; Marion Vollam, a student of the Grand Rapids high school, and Mildred G. Mr. Hall and wife are members of the Universalist church, belonging to All Souls congregation, Grand Rapids; he is identified with the Royal Arcanum order, is a charter member of the Lincoln club, and ever since attaining his majority has been a supporter of the republican party.