Ballard County, Kentucky
Posted by: YoSam.
N 36° 57.921 W 089° 05.334
16S E 314042 N 4093067
A county named for Captain Bland Ballard (1759 ~ 1853), pioneer, soldier and statesman.
Waymark Code: WMJM37
Location: Kentucky, United States
Date Posted: 12/02/2013
Views: 9
THE PERSON:
Captain Bland Ballard
(October 16, 1761 – September 5, 1853)
was a soldier and statesman from Kentucky.
"Ballard was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1779, at age 18, he moved to Kentucky, Ballard was married three times. He and his first wife Elizabeth Williamson were the parents of seven children. After Elizabeth Williamson Ballard's death in 1827, he then married Diana Matthews in 1833. After Matthews' death in 1835, in 1841 Ballard then married for a third and final time, to Elizabeth Weaver Garrett. Ballard served as a scout in George Rogers Clark's 1780 expedition into the Ohio country. During the Northwest Indian War, he again served as a scout, this time for Clark's 1786 Wabash campaign. Ballard participated in the battles of Fallen Timbers (1794), Tippecanoe (1811), and the River Raisin (1813). As a major of Kentucky volunteers, he played a leading role in the expedition against the British and American Indians who had invaded southeastern Michigan. He was wounded and taken prisoner at the Battle of Frenchtown, but was among the group of prisoners who were transported into Canada and so escaped the River Raisin Massacre. Following the war, Ballard served as a Delegate from Shelby County in the 1800, 1803 and 1805 Kentucky General Assembly."~
Ref: Wikipedia
THE PLACE:
"Ballard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was created by the Kentucky State Legislature in 1842, and is named for Captain Bland Ballard, a soldier, statesman, and member of the Kentucky General Assembly. He was one of the few Kentucky volunteers to survive the notorious River Raisin Massacre during the War of 1812. Its county seat is Wickliffe. As of 2010 the population is 8,249. Ballard is a prohibition or dry county."~
Ref:Wikipedia
Location of Marker:
4th St. (US 51/62) & Ohio St., courthouse lawn, Wickliffe
Ballard County is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Text of Marker:
COUNTY NAMED, 1842
--------------------------
For Capt. Bland Ballard, 1759~1853.
Born in Va, Came to Ky. in 1779.
Devoted life protecting frontier.
Scout for George Rogers Clark's Ohio expedition, 1780, '82; Wabash campaign, 1786.
In the battles of Fallen Timbers, 1793; Tippecanoe, 1811; River Raisin, 1813.
In Ky. Legis. five terms.
Legis. directed burial in Frankfort Cemetery.
County from McCracken, Hickman.