Charles Edwin Hall is a man who has worked his way upward to a position among the substantial men of the community in which he lives. He has, by industry and perseverance, won the support and confidence of many men, who honor him for his high standard and progressive ideas. Mr. Hall was born in Rosendale township, Foun du Lac county, Wisconsin, February 26, 1852, the son of Dr. Storrs and Elizabeth Scribner Hall. Dr. Hall was born in Washington county, New York, and received his early education in New England. Subsequently he graduated from the literary department of Rutland College, Vermont, before taking up the study of medicine at Yale University. After completing his professional course the doctor located in Wisconsin, where he became a popular and well known physician and prominent citizen. He died in 1905, at the age of ninety-one years. Four sons survive him: Sidney S., a physician of Ripon, Wis., who graduated from the medical department of Harvard University and served as assistant surgeon in the United States Navy during the Civil war; William S., of Denver, Col., who has large dairy interests; Ira S., of Minneapolis, Minn., and Charles Edwin, who was reared in Wisconsin. He received the educational advantages afforded by the excellent public schools of Wisconsin and completed a two-year course at Ripon College, Ripon, Wis., but was compelled to leave college because of ill health and take up out-door life. He devoted the years from 1869 to 1877 to regaining his health and the latter year came to Kansas, locating at Russell for the purpose of engaging in the banking business, but his health again failing, he returned home. The lure of the West held with Mr. Hall, who had great faith in Kansas, and in 1885 he returned to establish a drug business, which he conducted until 1889. He then became register of deeds of Russell county, having been elected to that office on the Republican ticket the year previous. He was reëlected in 1891 and again in 1893 and 1895. During the four terms Mr. Hall was in office he made a fine record, gaining the confidence of the voters by his honesty and ability, becoming one of the most popular men in the county offices. During President McKinley's administration, in 1898, he was appointed postmaster of Russell, serving four years. In 1890 Mr. Hall purchased the abstract books of the county and upon retiring as postmaster he added to this business by handling real estate and insurance. At the same time he handled a growing mortgage and loan and abstract office, becoming the leading man in this line west of Ellsworth. Mr. Hall has always taken a keen interest in public affairs and has been liberal in the expenditure of his time and energy for the public. He is chairman of the Russell County Republican Central Committee; has been a delegate a number of times to the Republican State conventions and to the National convention in 1904. He is secretary of the Russell Commercial Club. For some years he has been a director of the Russell State Bank and is a large owner of both business and residence property. Progress has been Mr. Hall's watchword and he has consistently urged and stood for civic improvements. He is popular as a friend and highly respected as a business man by his many friends and acquaintances. Fraternally he is a member of St. Aldemar Commandery, Knights Templar, of Ellsworth, of Isis Temple Shrine, of Salina, and of the Modern Woodmen of America. On December 23, 1874, Mr. Hall married Emma M., the daughter of Henry I. Ackerman, a merchant of Fond du Lac, Wis., and a sister of Theodore Ackerman, one of the founders of Russell. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hall—Winifred R. who owns the American College of Dressmaking at Russell, and Henry Storrs, who died in 1892, aged twenty-two. He was educated at Washburn College and was studying medicine at Ripon, Wis., at the time of his death. Mrs. Hall is a prominent church worker at Russell, takes a leading part socially and is helping build up the public library in connection with other civic improvements.