The Penn's Grove record., 1919-12-05
Venerable Preacher Dead
Rev. A. E. Ballard Passed Away
In goth Year

On Thanksgiving Day, November 81,
1919, Rev. Aaron +. Ballard, president
and one of the founders of Ocean Grove,
died there, aged SO years, II months, 5
days. The funeral was held on Mon
day. Hundreds who had heard him at
the Camp Meetings during the past
nifty years passed in silent procession.
Chinese DR.. Ballard organized years
ago.
DIR. Ballard was born in Bloomfield,
N. j., on Christmas Day, 1920. Oddly
enough four other members of his
family were born on Christmas. His
boyhood days were spent in Essex
County. His father lost his health and
property and the boy had to go to
work. For a time he sold fish, and
later peddled radishes from house to
house. Finally he got a job for 81 a
week. DR.. Ballard had but little
he continued his studies at night so as
to keep up with his former school
mates.
At the age of Is he heard DR.. David
w. B%artine, in Newark, who so appeal
ed to him that he became a regular at
tendant at church. Then, with the
late Henry NJ. Brown, he began to hold
meetings and formed a choir.
He felt that he was called upon to
preach. He was later made a local
preacher under a presiding elder and
ference He was admitted to the New
Jersey Conference in 1874 and from
that time was active in the affairs of
the Church. He filled charges in diff
ferent parts of the State. He was
district superintendent twice and state
temperance agent and president of the
Evangelical Church from 1SS1-S9. He
went on the retired list in 1902, but
continued active service with Pitman
Grove and Ocean Grove Camp Meetings.
He was a member of the General
Conference in 1868 and in 1872. He
was author of a paragraph introduced
- tha 1.,a 1icpin1ip / N I 1910 hnopin0
card playing, theatre-going and dane
ing, and which paragraph caused a
great amount of discussion in church
circles.
While a member of the General Con-
ference it was decided to hold a camp
meeting for the purpose of obtaining a
higher spiritual life among the people.
Then. when the late William II. Os-
gether they organized Ocean Grove for
the shore district, and Pitman Grove
for the country district. DR.. 70. q.
Stokes was made president of Pitman
Grove. When DIR. Stokes died, DIR. Bal
lard was known to thousands all over
New Jersey.
DIR. Ballard will go into history as the
most influential man for goodness and
jersey. Ocean Grove was the only city
of its size to be founded and run on
the principles of a quiet Sunday and
without liquor licenses.
1T bdiIaIa vas Nely IntiHldSs WI
William j.. SeWefl, superintendent, of
the West Jersey Railroad and U. S.
Senator. He had Mr.. Sewell to not
have trains to stop on Sunday at Ocean
Grove and Pitman Grove for many
years. Ocean Grove was incorporated
under a law for a Camp Meeting AS
ISOLATION, which law prohibited the sale
of liquor within one mile of the meet
ing. DR.. Ballard started the first dry
city in 1869 and lived to see the law
extended all over the United States.
The law which DIR. Ballard and
Others had enacted to have Ocena Grove
under to exclude the sale of liquors
one mile from the meeting is the same
under which Penns Grove Camp Meet
ing Association is Incorporated, and
which precludes the Court granting a
liquor license in Penns Grove.
Thus the influence of DR.. Ballard, the
Grand Old Methodist patriarch, will
live long after he is forgotten.