The Mankato free press., 1911-02-24
IoNE OF THE BEST KNOWN OF
THE EARLY RESIDENTS.
He Died Suddenly Late Yesterday
Afternoon After Brief illness,
and Before a Doctor Could Ar
rive; Death Attributed to Old
Age; His Was An interesting
Career; Story of His Life.

| From thursdays Daily.
Columbus Ballard, perhaps the
first surviving settler in this county,
outside of the city, and one of the
best known of the earlier residents,
passed away yesterday afternoon at
the residence of his sister, Mrs. c.
f.. Bohlke, in Decoria. after a very
brief illness. He was taken ill, and
the end came before a doctor could
arrive. His death is laid to old age.
Was Born i'm Kentucky.
Mr.. Ballard was born in Hamp-
ridge township, Shelby county, Ken
lucky, on farm September 27, 1929,
, being a son Of James and Elizabeth
(Fry) Ballard. He came to ST. Paul
in April, 1854, and after tarrying
there for two or three weeks he con-
cluded that because Of it's geogaph-
ical position, Mankato was likely to
become a good point, and he decided
to locate here. He arrived in Man
kato early in May, 1854, and located
on farm in section 19, the old
Monks farm, adjoining the city linn
its above Bunker hill.
Trial of the Clergyman.
On January 2, 1856, Mr.. Ballard
was married to Miss Lois Gregory,
whose parents lived on the LeSueur
river, just over in Waseca county,
and were early settlers.t This mar
riage was about the first to occur
in the county. The marriage occur
red during cold spell, when the
mercury fell to forty-four degrees
below zero. The marriage was TO
have occurred January /, but the
justice who was engaged to perform
the ceremony lost the road and came
near being out all night and freez-
ing to death. He finally saw light,
which he thought came from the
Gregory home, but it proved to be
from an Indian camp, and he remain
ed with the Indians until next morn
ing and then proceeded to the Greg
Ory cabin and performed the cere-
mOny.
The couple resided on the farm
in section 10, until about 1864, when
they sold it to Mr. Monks and bought
farm in section l, Rapidan. This
they sold later to Blue Earth county
for a poor farm, and located on a
thence moved to Decoria in 1874, and
to Mankato township in 1887. The
wife died in 1878.
Mr. Ballard came from Revolu-
tionary war stock His grandfather,
James Ballard, had twenty-eight chill
dren, and his grandfather's brother,
Bland Ballard, was a noted Indian
fighter, and the county of Ballard
and the county seat, Blandville, KY,
were named for him. The Ballards
had settled in Kentucky as early as
Daniel Boone's time, and fought in
the various early wars of the coun-
try. Their home was four miles
from Shelbyville, and Columbus
grandfather owned 1000 acres of
land. Different members of the fam
lily had many exciting fights with
Indians, and hair-breadth escapes,
such as would make exciting reading
for the youth of the land.
Mr.. Ballard was one Of the sub
stantial men of the county, and was
well liked by all. He was indus
trious, hard working, and good
citizen and neighbor, and his death
is greatly regretted.
The deceased is survived by seven
sons, one daughter and twenty-one
grandchildren. The sons are George
H., of Rapidan;' James. of Mankato
township; Willard, of Decoria; Thom-
as, of Mankato township, now in
Washington state; Charles, of Mon
tana; Mrs. Lizzie Boehlke, of De-
coria; Robert Ballard and Columbus
Ballard, Jr., Of Mankato township.