John Ball (pioneer)
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John Ball (November 12, 1794–February 5, 1884) was born at Tenny Hill, Grafton County, New Hampshire. He had a common school education and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1820. He studied law two years at Lansingburg, New York and then went to Darien, Georgia where he taught school five years, then returned to New York and was admitted to the bar in 1824.
In 1832 he traveled across the continent, went to Fort Vancouver and taught the first school ever opened in Oregon Country. He returned via the Sandwich Islands and Cape Horn in 1833-34. In 1837 he settled at Grand Rapids, Michigan, and represented eastern capitalists in locating lands during the "wild-cat banking" era. He also opened a law office and partnered with, among others, the Hon. George Martin, formerly Chief Justice of Michigan and Solomon L. Withey, late United States District Judge.
In 1842 he was appointed by Governor of Michigan Barry, to select 300,000 acres (1,200 km²) of the 500,000 acres (2,000 km²) of land granted to Michigan by Congress for internal improvements. These were mainly selected about Grand Rapids and were mostly taken up with internal improvement warrants, and as these warrants could be bought for about forty cents on the dollar, it resulted in a speedy settlement of the Grand River Valley. Mr. Ball was largely identified with Grand Rapids interests. He was interested in schools, geology, lyceums and all local enterprises; he provided the first written account of the geology of Oregon
In politics he was a conservative Democrat and served in the Michigan State Legislature.
He donated the land in Grand Rapids, Michigan that is now John Ball Park and John Ball Zoo.
External link
- John BALL, Grand Rapids City, pp. 944-950 (Chapman 1881) (http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=message&r=rw&p=localities.northam.usa.states.michigan.counties.kent&m=1845)
- John Ball Zoological Garden (http://www.accesskent.com/visiting/zoo/zoo_index.htm)