James Hall and the Allens of Alfred

James Hall (1811-1898), New York's first distinguished paleontologist, was well acquainted with Alfred, New York, and its citizens. As an ambitious young man, he was assigned (1837-1843) to explore the newly created Fourth District, comprising most of western New York. He could not have anticipated meeting the Allen family and that the resulting social-scientific relationship would play an important role in his study of the Paleozoic Reticulate Sponges and endure for the rest of his life.