Hall was born in Mound Prairie, in the town of Wheatland, Kenosha County, Wisconsin, on January 23, 1844.

Darwin was the son of Erasmus D. Hall, who served in the first session of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

While at Milwaukee, Hall enlisted as a private in Company K of the 42nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment for service in the American Civil War.

[1] In 1866 Darwin settled near Birch Coulee, Renville County, Minnesota, and engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1868.

Darwin went on to be appointed chairman of the Chippewa Indian Commission by President Benjamin Harrison in 1891 and served until 1893, and again in 1897.