HISTORIC HULL HOUSE INN

The William H and Ella Hull Family History

 

William H. Hull was born in Morristown, New Jersey on November 28, 1848 to John A. and Mary E. Hull. According to obituaries that appeared in the Southern Illinois Herald, Saturday March 22, 1902, and the Carbondale Free Press. March 19, 1902, William Hull came to Carbondale at about age seven. His father was, at that time, publisher of the Carbondale Times. William completed grade and high school in Carbondale, then like his father and grandfather, entered the newspaper business. His first effort in the business was in 1870 when he helped establish the Daily Sun in Cairo, Il. He left the Daily Sun after about six months and for the next several years he had a variety of jobs including a position with the Government Printing Office in Washington, D. C. He then went to work for his father on a paper in Coldwater, Michigan. In 1879, William moved to Murphysboro from St. Louis. We don't know why he left Michigan, neither do we know what he was doing in St. Louis. We do know that when he returned to Murphysboro, he went to work as a journeyman printer for Gil J. Bart, proprietor of a newspaper, the Jackson County Era.

Although we do not yet know where they were married, we know that in October of 1879, William married Ella M. Stearns. We also know that a year later 1880 census shows the Hull household as consisting of William, age 32; Ella, age 16; Ella's mother, Rebecca, age 38; Ella's brother Frank, age 13; and Ella's sister Eugiene, age 9.

In late 1881, after Mr. Gill's death in January, Mr. Hull bought the Era newspaper from Mr. Gill's widow. In May, 1891, he changed the name to The Daily Era. He kept the paper for about a year and in 1892 he sold the paper. During the decade or so he owned the paper, it is said that the paper flourished and circulation increased.

After sale of the Daily Era, William entered the mercantile business with W. C.

Kent. The business was knows as Kent and Hull. The business apparently did very well and in 1893, Mr. Hull bought Mr. Kent out and became the sole owner of the business. It is reported that he sold a stock of dry goods and groceries from a "fine" double storefront. We do not yet know where that store was located.

In the summer of 1893, William set about the task of establishing the first telephone company in Murphysboro. Murphysboro city Council minutes of June 12, 1893 indicate that, W. H. Hull appeared before the Council and presented a petition asking for the privilege of erecting poles, stringing wires and so forth for the purpose of establishing a telephone exchange. Alderman Hoyes moved that the ordinance committee, with the assistance of the City Attorney, draft an ordinance and report at the next meeting. On August 14 1893 that ordinance was passed.

According to a note that appeared on the 1905 Murphysboro City Directory, in about 1893, William decided he wanted to go back into the newspaper business.  He did so by starting the Republican newspaper in opposition to the Era. In 1901, just before his death, the two papers merged to form the Republican Era.

From about 1888 until his death in 1902, William was the Chief and foreman of the Egyptian Fire Company, located at 1205 walnut t. In his role as foreman, he wrote the City council requesting that the City repair the fire engine and supply the Fire Company with wrenches and other necessary appliances that were needed. According to the minutes of the June 12, 1893 City Council meeting, the engine was ordered repaired without delay and the wrenches and other items requested were procured. It is also noted that it was largely through William's efforts that Murphysboro acquired its first steam fire engine.

By the Census of 1900, the Hull Family was living at 1517 Walnut St., and consisted of William, Ella, their daughter Jennie, and Mrs. Hull's sister Jennie. Ella and Jennie's mother, Rebecca S. Stearns died on November 16, 1887 of an "hepatic infection" after an illness of 32 days. Rebecca was 45 years, two months and two days of age when she died. About the brother Frank, we know virtually nothing except that that he was no longer living with the family. There is some suggestion that he lived in Jackson, Tennessee, but we cannot confirm that.

Mr. Hull we see as an active individual who contributed greatly to Murphysboro's

development. In addition to the foregoing, he was an organizer and Director of the Jackson county Homestead and Loan Association; Director of the Illinois Building and Loan association; a Captain of the Jackson Camp No. 113, Sons of Veterans; a member and Secretary of the Republican Central Committee and a member of the State Newspaper Association, as well as the Southern Illinois Newspaper Association.

William Hull died at his home in Murphysboro on Saturday, March 15, 1902. The immediate cause of death was paralysis, although he had been ill with Small Pox and la grippe for some weeks prior to his death. In one of the obituaries mention is made of the fact that Mr. Hull had not for some weeks been well. William H. Hull is buried in City Cemetery, Murphysboro, Illinois.

Ella M. Stearns Hull

It became clear to us from the beginning of our research that far less information

was going to be available about Ella M. Stearns Hull than was available about her husband. We know Ella was born in September 1863. We know she was born in Jackson County to Rebecca and Z. K. Stearns, but we don't know precisely where in the County. We know little to date about Ella's parents, aside from what appears above about Rebecca. We know Ella had two siblings, Jeannie and Frank, and we know she and William had one daughter. We have learned that she was a cousin to Alice Dailey Smith, the wife of U.S. Congressman George W. Smith. We know she was in the same social circle as the likes of Sallie Logan because we find Ella's calling card in our collection of Thomas and Sallie Logan memorabilia. We know that Ella, and William were active in the Methodist Church as we have an invitation they sent to the Logan's to come to a Measuring Party the Hull's were having to benefit the Church.

Ella Hull died at St. Andrews Hospital at 4:00 AM on March 29, 1905 of complications related to appendicitis. She is buried beside her husband in City Cemetery in Murphysboro, Illinois.

Eugenia (Jennie) Stearns

To our knowledge, Eugenia was the only sister Ella Hull had. She was born in April, 1874 to Rebecca and E. Z. Stearns. Aside from knowing that she was a Jackson County native, we don't know the precise date or place of her birth. From the 1880 Census, when Jennie was nine, we know she was living with William and Ella Hull, her mother Rebecca, and her older brother Frank. We know from the 1900 Census that she was still living with the Hulls and working as a stenographer. While we don't yet know for whom Eugenia was working while in Murphysboro, it is tempting to think she was working for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, a company she later worked for in Jackson, Tennessee.

Although we have not yet learned when Eugenia left Murphysboro, the fact that she is not listed among the household members in either of William's obituaries, makes us think it was prior to his death in 1902. We do know that at the time of her sister Ella's death, she was working for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad in Tennessee. We also know that she remained with the Mobile and Ohio throughout her guardianship of the Hull's daughter Jennie Marie (Mary) Hull.

On April 5th, 1905 Jennie Stearns was appointed guardian of Jennie Marie Hull,

then 12 years old. It appears that Jennie Stearns faithfully discharged her duties until about the 9*" of November 1910 when she sought relief from any further duties as Jennie Hull's guardian. Jenny Hull had reached her "majority".  It is important to note that had Jennie Stearns not kept the precise guardianship records she did, we would not know nearly as much as we do about Jennie Marie Hull.  We know little else abut Eugenia at this point. We are aware that she lived at 543 E. Chester Street in Jackson, Tennessee and we know she was a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Jackson. As with the other family members, our research continues on Eugenia Stearns.

Jennie Marie Hull

Jennie Marie Hull was born to William and Ella on September 29, 1892.

Unfortunately, we have been unable to locate any birth records to help us learn where Jennie was born. We suppose she was born at St. Andrews Hospital in Murphysboro, but we cannot document it. As best we can tell, her early schooling was here in Murphysboro.  

From the various census records we have searched, we have learned that Jennie lived with her parents and her aunt Eugenia at 1517 Walnut Street here in Murphysboro.

We have learned from her father's Carbondale Free Press obituary that when it was learned that William had Smallpox, the house was quarantined, and Jennie went to live with Dr. and Mrs. Ingram. In fact, we read that she was not allowed to see her father during his illness. We assume that at some point after her father's death, Jennie returned to the 1517 Walnut Street address and lived with her mother until her mother's death in March 1905. We know that shortly after her aunt, Eugenia Stearns, became her guardian Jennie moved to Jackson, Tennessee. The check records Jennie's aunt kept for her provide a good picture of the young ward's life. For example, tuition was paid for Jennie to attend an MCF Institute. On July 27, 1909, a check for $50.00 was written to finance a shopping trip to Murphysboro and St. Louis preparatory to Jennie entering Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee. It appears that Jennie stayed at Belmont for about one year. We lost track of her until 1917, when we think she married a Gordon Lennox and moved to Portland, Oregon. We are aware that Jennie died in Portland in 1968 and is buried there.