author
Benjamin Homer Hall
1830–1893
A 19th-century lawyer, poet, and local historian from Troy, New York, he is best remembered for preserving regional stories and traditions in print. His books range from student slang and customs to the early history of eastern Vermont.
1 Audiobook
A Collection of College Words and Customs
by Benjamin Homer Hall
About the author
Benjamin Homer Hall was an American lawyer, author, and poet who was born in Troy, New York, on November 14, 1830, and died there on April 6, 1893. Records from the New York State Library describe him as the son of Daniel and Anjinette Fitch Hall, educated at private schools and Phillips Andover Academy, and a Harvard graduate of 1851.
Hall wrote across several genres, which helps explain his lasting interest for readers today. He is associated with works including College Words and Customs and History of Eastern Vermont, from Its Earliest Settlement to the Close of the Eighteenth Century, showing both a taste for lively social detail and a serious interest in regional history.
Beyond his writing, Hall also worked in public life in Troy as a lawyer and civic figure. Contemporary library and reference sources connect him with the city clerk's office and note that the Hall Building in Troy, later known as the Rice Building, was named for him.