Francis Micajah (F.M.) Hall, later known as “Cage” Hall, was born in Todd Couty, KY, on March 25, 1833, to Rachel and Young Hall. The family settled in McLean County, IL in the spring of 1835. Hall married Jane Ellen Barnard in 1855, and the pair had eight children, four of whom lived past infancy. Hall was a prominent farmer near Danvers, and a member of the Masonic order. He remained in the Danvers area until his death on April 5, 1917.
F.M. Hall and the Hall family are associated with the early, unincorporated settlement / community of Wilkesborough / Wilksborough. It was laid out in 1836, with 70 lots and a village common or square. The small community flourished for a while, with a post office (1836-1861), blacksmith shop, and store. The growth of Concord (later Danvers), located one mile to the west, doomed Wilkesborough as a viable community.
The collection includes eight journals recording the daily life of F. M. Hall and his family, and a folder on general information about Hall. These diaries include accounts of life on his farm, politics, local news, significant events such as deaths and births, and Hall’s travels.