Transcription contributed by Arne H Trelvik 1 June 2005

• "Match Maker William Ballard Shone Bright In County" article by Dallas Bogan

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891

WILLIAM H. BALLARD, merchant and Postmaster, Red Lion; born in Connecticut July 1, 1817; is a son of Jesse and Thankful (Warren) Ballard, natives of Connecticut, who emigrated to the State of Now York; thence, about 1843, to Ohio and located in Warren County; thence, in 1846, removed to Preble County, where he died; his wife returned to Warren County, where she resided with her son, our subject, till her death, about 1858. She, it is believed, was a grand-daughter of Gen. Warren, of Revolutionary fame; they had three sons, one only now living-William H. Mrs. Ballard was twice married, first, to a Mr. Smith, by whom she had one daughter - Wealthy (deceased). Our subject was but three years of age when his father moved to New York State; there he grew to manhood and married, and, in 1840, emigrated to Ohio and located at Red Lion, where he has since resided - a period of forty-one years. Here we desire to revert back to the time of Mr. Ballard's arrival in this county with his family, consisting of his wife and two small children. Their worldly possessions consisted of one bed and a few household goods in one medium-sized store-box, with $1.25 in money, which he immediately laid out for medicine to cure his wife of the ague. The first work he did was cutting up corn at 50 cents per day; he then entered upon the manufacture of matches by hand, with a knife, having been fortunate enough to bring with him from the East a small amount of compound for the dipping of the matches; for these, he found a ready sale, though the demand was limited; he succeeded in making enough to procure a very scanty living; he continued on, and the demand for his matches increased, and his manufacture and sale increased in proportion. At one time, to obtain timber for his matches, he walked four miles to the Shaker mill and obtained a large pine slab, and carried it home on his shoulder; this made him quite an amount of stock for trade. Having thus far traveled on foot to make sale of his goods, he now built and caused to be built a rough cheap wagon, and, in the spring of 1845, bought an old horse for $18, for which he gave his note; this was one degree of improvement in business. When his note became due, he met its payment. Thus little by little he plodded on. In 1846, he obtained the appointment of Postmaster, which then paid from $7 to $10 per quarter. He then purchased a very small stock of groceries; his wife attended the post office and store and to her household affairs. This yielded a small profit, while Mr. Ballard continued the manufacture of matches with increased zeal. His next step of progress was the manufacture of a machine of his own invention for splitting out his matches; this enabled him to increase the rapidity of manufacture, commensurate with the demand. Thus he continued onward and upward in progress, till he was able to enjoy a few of the common comforts of life. He then purchased a vacant lot, then an old building, which he moved on to it; continued active in business; invented more improvements on his machine, and finally purchased a small engine and boiler; employed more help and increased his volume of business and profits; purchased another property, and, from time to time, another, till at the present time, by his business and traffic, he has become one of the wealthiest men in Red Lion. After Mr. Ballard had made a good start in life, he entered upon the study of law, under and through the aid of Maj. Williams, of Lebanon,