John Wallis Albert Gall (November 23, 1842 – October 13, 1905) was an American retail businessman and the former State Treasurer of Indiana. He owned a popular carpet and furnishing company in Indianapolis and was a lifelong Democrat. At his death, he was one of the wealthiest men in Indiana.

Early life and education

Gall was born on November 23, 1842, in

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...

. His father was a surgeon named Alois D. Gall. His mother was named Caroline. Gall had an older sister Bertha and a younger brother Edmond. When he was five years old, Gall and his family moved to

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

. Gall's father was named

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

in 1853 and held the office until 1858. His family left Indianapolis for Antwerp Albert Gall attended boarding school in

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

. During his time in Europe he became fluent in German and French. In 1859, Gall moved back to Indianapolis.

Career

Upon his return to Indianapolis, Gall began working in retail, selling dry goods. He left Indianapolis by 1860 for San Francisco. Four years later, he moved back to Indianapolis and married Louisa C. Ruschaupt on October 20, 1864. They had four children: Berthe, Freddie, Albert and Eddie. Gall started selling carpets for J. Kraus and Company. Gall's father bought him a stake in the company in 1864 and it was renamed Kraus and Gall. The company was named Albert Gall in 1867 and Gall became the sole owner. In 1890, Gall was elected Treasurer of Indiana. He was elected again, in 1892. Gall was a Democrat. In 1893, Gall lost $65,000 in property that he signed over to Indianapolis National Bank when the bank failed and closed. Gall did not run for re-election at the end of his second term.

Later life and death

In 1895, Louisa died. Gall remarried, marrying Ruth Wiggers. Gall died on October 13, 1905, at his home in Indianapolis. Gall had

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

and gout. At the time of his death, he was planning to build a six-story building in downtown Indianapolis and was contracted to decorate the

Indiana State House The Indiana Statehouse is the List of state capitols in the United States, state capitol building of the U.S. state of Indiana. It houses the Indiana General Assembly, the office of the Governor of Indiana, the Indiana Supreme Court, and other st ...

. He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery. Gall was a 33rd degree member of the Scottish Rite and a member of the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

. At the time of his death, he was worth over $150,000, which is over $4.4 million as of 2020.

Legacy

Gall's papers are held in the collection of the Indiana State Library.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gall, Albert 1842 births 1905 deaths Politicians from Green Bay, Wisconsin American retail chief executives 19th-century American businesspeople State treasurers of Indiana Politicians from Indianapolis Businesspeople from Indianapolis Indiana Democrats Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery