As a young girl, she moved with her family, including sisters Ruth and Lulie, to Portland, where her father managed the express division of the Northern Pacific Railway.

[1] Leaving public school in fifth grade because of her paralysis, Hall continued her education by reading widely at home.

Favorite authors included Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Stitching bridal robes, baby dresses, and gowns for wealthy families, she worked near a window from which she could watch passers-by on the street.

[10] The organization that sponsors the awards, Literary Arts, refers to Hall as the "Emily Dickinson of Oregon".