Early Life

Gardiner Hall, son of Nathan Hall and Philomena Fisk, was born November 18^th, 1809 in Mansfield, Connecticut. Born into a well-established family, Gardiner’s ancestors had immigrated to Charlestown, Massachusetts, from Coventry, Warwick, England, by way of Governor Winthrop’s fleet in 1630. Despite this, Nathan and Philomena were poor, and Gardiner’s educational opportunities were limited. According to a December 9^th, 1907 obituary in The Hartford Courant, Gardiner focused his early life on developing practical, conversational, and planning skills. Fascinated by the textile industry, he diligently studied how people and machines worked.