Robert Frank Hale  

Illness Fatal to Frank Robert Hale.

Fank Robert Hale, who for a number of years was the general agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad here, died at 10:30 o'clock Wednesday morning at Union Hospital. He was 76 years old.

Mr. Hale. whose residence was at 812 South Fifth street, was well known in business circles in Terre Haute and was active in the affairs of the Methodist Temple and several fraternal organizations.

Surviving are the wife, Hattie Alice Hale; two daughters, Lillian Goss of Larimer Hill and Mary Alice Hadley of Louisville, Ky., and one grandson, Oliver Hale McCrory

He was a member of Lodge No. 19, F & A. M., Knights Templar, Scottish Rite, Zorah, Shrine and the B.P.O. Elks Lodge No. 86

The body was taken to the H. P. Martin Funeral Home, where funeral services will be held at 2:30 o'clock Friday Afternoon. Rec. LeRoy Brown and the Knights Templar will be in charge of the service.

Burial will be made in Highand Lawn cemetery. - - 22 Aug 1945 issue, page 2, of the Terre Haute Tribune.

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History of Indiana from Its Exploration to 1922 By Logan Esarey, William F. Cronin
Also an Account of Vigo County From its Organization pg. 454-3

...American Vigo Clay Company...In the year 1901 they organized the Vigo Clay Company including A. Herz, Andrew J. Crawford, Eugene Duenweg, Josephus C. Davis and Henry Preston...

The American Clay Company was organized in the year 1908 by Frank R. Hale, John Dailey, L. R. Whitney, S. M. Cowgill, F. D.Oakley and James Luther...In the year 1910 they doubled the capacity of this plant making it the largest kiln of its kind in America, and at this time, Mr. Hale resigned his position with the Vandalia railroad to take cahrge of the operation of the enlarged plant. These two companies consoidated in the year 1915 under the name of the Vigo-Maerican Clay Company with Frank R. Hale as general manager...

Frank Robert Hale was born at Bois, Ill., August 14, 1869, his father, Robert K. Hale being a direct descendant of Robert Hale who settled in Charleston, Mass., in the year 1630 and became founder of a family of well-known in the history of this country,including Nathan Hale, Edward Everett Hale and others. His mother, Marcella E. Chadwick was born on the fourth of July, and was a descendant of the old English Family of Chadwick, her father, Judge Samuel Chadwick, of Michigan, being Commissioner of Pensions at Washington where he died of sunstroke while addressing a large open air meeting.

After graduating from high School and attending Benton Harber College two years, he entered the employ of the C. W. & M. Ry. (Now Michigan Division of Big Four), as night operator at Benton Barbor, working fourteen hours nightly for $20.00 per month. However, he was promoted rapidly, and during thwenty-two years of continous railroad service, held in turn the following posititons: Operator at Warsaw and Goshen; cashier at Benton Harbor; first operator for the Vandalia line when it was extended to St. Joseph; operator at Collinsville and Indianapolis; agent at Hibbard and Plymouth; City passenger and ticket agent at Terre Haute; the first stenographer used by Mr. W. R. McKeen, (who was then president of the Vandalia line), and the agent at St. Joseph, Mich., including charge of the across traffic to Milwaukee and Chicago.

While there, in 1896 he married Hattie Alice Wise, whose father was a merchant at Lake Maxinkuckee and whose grandfather was one the the earliest settlers and first school teachers in that region. They had two daughters: Lillian who is now as senior in Depauw Univesity and Mary Alice who is eleven years old.

When the north end of the Vandalia line was bid in by its bond holders at a reciever's sale, he became general manager and made the road pay so well that at the end of the year, the bondholders were able to lease the road advantageously to the Indiana, Illinois & Iowa Railroad, connecting at South Bend and running to Clinton, Ia. he became superintendent of the entire line with office at Kankakee, Ill.

Two years later when this line was absorbed by the New York Central lines, he returned to the Vandalia Line as local freight agent at Terre Haute, which position he held eight years until he resigned in 1910 to become general manager of the American Clay Company in which he become interested as one of the original incorporators two years before. Under his management it kiln has been improved and trebled in size until it is now the largest kiln of its kind in America, a consolidation has been effected with the Vigo Clay Company, and his is now general manager of the consloidated Vigo-American Clay Company.

For six years he has been the director representing the Indiana and Illinois manufacturers in the Hollow Building Tile Association, and as chairman of the traffic committee of that association has by a four year's fight assisted in finally securing from the Interstate Commerce Commisiion an order establishing more uniform rates on brick and building tile, and removing local discriminations.

During the war he was a member of the war service committee which assisted the government in securing the hollow building tile which it needed quickly and in large quanities to aid in the developement of its war facilities. At the same time he was also an active member of the County Council of Defense for Vigo county, a member of the Liberty Guards, and also of other agencies used by the Government.

He is a Knight Templar, a Shriner, a member of the Terre Haute Rotary Club, Fort Harrison Country CLub, director of the Citizens Trust Company, and a trustee of the First Methodist Episcopal Church.