American surveyor, farmer and botanist in Athens, Illinois. A native of Patrick Country, Virginia Elihu Hall grew up with little schooling but with a great interest in natural history, reading all he could and studying plants and animals in the field. Yet unaware of the practice of collecting specimens, as a child he wished to illustrate the plants, insects and birds that he found and one summer taught himself to draw. Later trained as a surveyor, Hall worked in this capacity in Menard County, Illinois which allowed him to collect plants while out running his lines. He also farmed for a living.

During extended botanical trips to Colorado, Oregon, Texas, Arkansas, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, Hall developed an extensive set of plant specimens and a good correspondence with other naturalists. One important expedition he took part in was to the Rocky Mountains in 1862 alongside C.C. Parry and J.P. Harbour.

In later years Hall's health deteriorated, for he had suffered from haemorrhages of the lungs since childhood, and he turned his attention away from plant collecting to malacology, gathering the shells of freshwater and land snails. In 1858 he helped found the Illinois Natural History Society in Bloomington. At home Hall had a wife and children and maintained a very impressive and beautiful botanical garden, pressing and mounting many specimens from his cultivated plants. Species from over 20 plant genera have been named after him, including Melica Hallii Vasey and Viola Hallii A.Gray.

Sources:
J. Ewan, 1950, Rocky Mountain Naturalists: 221-222
J.M. Milligan, 1884, "Elihu Hall", Botanical Gazette, 9(4): 59-62
R.H. Mohlenbrock, 1982, "Illinois Solanaceae in the Missouri Botanical Garden Herbarium and Biographical Sketches of Some Collectors", Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 69(2): 382-392.