Ball

Biographical Sketch of A. Ball

A. Ball, of Redlands, is a native of Vermont, born April 5, 1832. His father, Orange Ball, moved to Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1840, where he farmed until his death, which occurred in December, 1873. The subject of this sketch was reared in the “Buckeye” State, and in 1854 left his native State to be gone only three months. He went to Jefferson County, Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming. Then he took five months to drive with wagons to Silver City, Nevada, where he mined and teamed until 1864, when he went to Sonoma County, California, and engaged in … Read more

History of Norwich Vermont Education

High School Building, Norwich Village, Erected in 1898

From the town records it appears that the first attempt to divide the town into school districts, was at a town meeting held November 19, 1782, when John Slafter, Elijah Brownson, Ithamar Bartlett, Joseph Loveland, Paul Bingham, Joseph Hatch, Daniel Baldwin, Abel Wilder and Samuel Brown, Jr., were made a committee for that purpose. Soon thereafter the committee reported that they “could effect nothing on the business of their appointment,” and were discharged. No further move in town meeting towards districting the town for school purposes appears to have been made until March 30, 1785, when, on petition of persons … Read more

Norwich Vermont in the Revolutionary War

The sources of information in regard to the part taken by the town in the Revolutionary struggle are few and scanty. The earliest allusion in the town records to this important epoch of the country’s history is found in the election of a Committee of Safety at the annual town meeting, March 11, 1777. This committee was five in number: Deacon Joseph Smalley, Samuel Hutchinson, John Hatch, Captain Hezekiah Johnson and John Hopson. There is much reason to believe, however, that this was not the first Committee of Safety that acted for the town; but was a new committee selected … Read more

Biography of John E. Ball

JOHN E. BALL. One of the progressive farmers of Howell County, Missouri, is John E. Ball, who was born in Abbeville District, S. C., in 1850, a son of James Wilburn and Mary (Mosley) Ball, who were born in the Palmetto State November9, 1817 and 1807, respectively. About 1859 they came to what is now Clay County, Arkansas, by wagon, and there the remainder of their lives were spent, she dying in 1865 and he in 1872. They were farmers by occupation and for some time during the Civil War the father of the subject of this sketch served in … Read more

Brown Genealogy

Brown Genealogy

In 1895, Cyrus Henry Brown began collecting family records of the Brown family, initially with the intention of only going back to his great-grandfathers. As others became interested in the project, they decided to trace the family lineage back to Thomas Brown and his wife Mary Newhall, both born in the early 1600s in Lynn, Massachusetts. Thomas, John, and Eleazer, three of their sons, later moved to Stonington, Connecticut around 1688. When North Stonington was established in 1807, the three brothers were living in the southern part of the town. Wheeler’s “History of Stonington” contains 400 records of early descendants of the Brown family, taken from the town records of Stonington. However, many others remain unidentified, as they are not recorded in the Stonington town records. For around a century, the descendants of the three brothers lived in Stonington before eventually migrating to other towns in Connecticut and New York State, which was then mostly undeveloped. He would eventually write this second volume of his Brown Genealogy adding to and correcting the previous edition. This book is free to search, read, and/or download.

Slave Narrative of Ann Gudgel

Interviewer: Mildred Roberts Person Interviewed: Ann Gudgel Location: Anderson County, Kentucky COMBINED INTERVIEWS: Customs: By Counties Slavery: Local History and Dialect ANDERSON CO. (Mildred Roberts) Story of Ann Gudgel (age unknown): “I doesn’t know how old I am, but I was a little girl when dat man Lincum freed us niggahs. My mammy neber tole us our age, but I knows I’se plenty old, cause I feels like it. “When I was a liddle girl all of us was owned by Master Ball. When Lincum freed us neggahs, we went on and libbed with Master Ball till us chilluns was … Read more

Biography of George Ball, P.M.

George Peter Man Ball, treasurer of the county of Lincoln, a descendant of the Ball family who came from Saxony, in 1692, is a grandson of Jacob Ball, a United Empire Loyalist, who left the Hudson river country, New York, with four sons, Jacob, Peter, John and George, and four daughters, at the time of the struggle of the Colonies for independence, settling in the Niagara District; and son of George Ball, in his day successfully engaged in farming, milling and lumbering, and was born in the township of Louth, county of Lincoln, September, 19, 1815. His mother before her … Read more

Biography of Hon. Jesse B. Ball

HON. JESSE B. BALL. – Twenty miles up the Skagit river, in the heart of one of the richest timber sections of Washington, is Sterling, a thriving young city, with high hopes for the future. The founder of the place is the man whose name appears at the head of this sketch. Mr. Ball is a pioneer of 1853, having crossed the plains in that year and stopped at Downieville, where he worked a short time for a company of miners, – his only work for anybody but himself on this coast. His career has had the restless activity and … Read more

Families of Ancient New Haven

Four Corners New Haven Connecticut

The Families of Ancient New Haven compilation includes the families of the ancient town of New Haven, covering the present towns of New Haven, East Haven, North Haven, Hamden, Bethany, Woodbridge and West Haven. These families are brought down to the heads of families in the First Census (1790), and include the generation born about 1790 to 1800. Descendants in the male line who removed from this region are also given, if obtainable, to about 1800, unless they have been adequately set forth in published genealogies.

History of San Juan County Utah

Saga of San Juan

“Saga of San Juan,” originally published in 1957, is a history of San Juan County Utah, compiled by the San Juan County Daughters of Utah Pioneers. The book provides a comprehensive look at the county’s origins and development. It spans from prehistoric times to the year 1957, offering insights into the diverse communities and challenges faced by early residents of this unique region.

First Settlements in Norwich Vermont

Having glanced thus briefly at the action of the Norwich proprietors in opening a way to reach their new township in the wilderness, and in dividing up a portion of its surface into lots suitable to become the homesteads of future settlers, let us pause a moment and see what had meantime been done in the work of actual settlement. I am indebted to Rev. Edmund F. Slafter of Boston for an interesting account of what was unquestionably the first attempt at settlement made within the limits of the town. I quote from the Slafter Memorial: “Samuel Slafter [of Mansfield, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George E. Ball

Ball, George E., Ferrisburgh, North Ferrisburgh p. o., one of the prominent farmers of this town, was born in Ferrisburgh, Vt., in 1851. He now occupies a homestead of 300 acres and is a general farmer and dairyman. He was married in 1872 to Flora Webb, of Ferrisburgh Vt. They have had two children born to them — Dora M. and Benedict C. George E. Boll was a son of Michael and Delia (Champlin) Ball. Delia died in 1857, leaving a family of five children three of whom are now living — Ezra, George, and Emma. Mr. Ball then married … Read more

Biography of Sumner N. Ball

Sumner N. Ball, the proprietor of Oak Hill Farm, Washington, was born in this town, June 3, 1854, son of Dexter and Hannah (Jefts) Ball. His grandfather, John Ball, was a native of Antrim, N.H., and a prosperous farmer. John married Rebecca Proctor, of Stoddard, N.H., and reared a family of seven children; namely, Dexter, Worcester, Allen, Melvin, Nathaniel W., Rebecca H., and Rosanna. Of these Dexter and Worcester are the only survivors. Dexter Ball, the father of Sumner N., was born in Antrim, and accompanied his parents to Washington when he was three years old. He grew to manhood … Read more

Norwich Vermont and Dartmouth College

Notwithstanding the fact that Norwich had for many years within its borders a collegiate institution of its own, founded and directed by its most distinguished son, the relations of their people towards Dartmouth College on the opposite bank of the Connecticut were always intimate and friendly.

Biography of J. T. Ball

A representative agriculturist of Nowata County, residing five and one-half miles east of Delaware, is J. T. Ball. He was born in Coowescoowee district, one mile from where he now lives, on the 29th of January, 1884, a son of John L. and Annie (Daniels) Ball. The father was a native of Tennessee, who arrived in Indian Territory in 1865 and located one-half mile from where J. T. was born. He later moved onto the old homestead, where he resided until his death in March, 1895. He was engaged in farming and stock raising and became well known in those … Read more

Biography of Frank L. Ball

Frank L. Ball, M. D. A resident of Kansas nearly all his life, Dr. Frank L. Ball had for the past fifteen years been one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Cherokee County. His family were among the pioneer settlers of Southeastern Kansas, and the name had been closely identified with the agricultural development and with the civic and professional life of various communities. The Ball family is of Scotch-Irish descent. Originally they were Quakers, and it is said that the first of the name came to Pennsylvania with William Penn. Doctor Ball’s grandfather was Guy Ball, a native … Read more

Narrative of the Captivity of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson – Indian Captivities

Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, Wife of the Rev. Joseph Rowlandson, Who Was Taken Prisoner when Lancaster was Destroyed, in the Year 1676; Written by Herself. On the 10th of February, 1676, came the Indians with great numbers  upon Lancaster: their first coming was about sun-rising. Hearing the noise of some guns, we looked out; several houses were burning, and the smoke ascending to heaven. There were five persons taken in one house; the father and mother, and a sucking child they knocked on the head, the other two they took and carried away alive. There were two others, who, being out … Read more

Genealogies of the First Settlers of Passaic Valley

Family Records or Genealogies of the First Settlers of Passaic Valley and Vicinity

Passaic Valley in New Jersey was first settled in the early 1700’s, primarily by families from Long Island, New York and Connecticut. The Family records, or, Genealogies of the first settlers of Passaic Valley and vicinity above Chatham provides genealogies of these early settlers from family records when they could be obtained, otherwise the author used family members to provide the information. Since some of the information comes from memory of individuals, one should validate what is written before relying on it to greatly.