Stephen Green Oldest Colored Pioneer

GREEN, NALLINGER

Posted By: Mary Lanigan (email)
Date: 5/27/2008 at 19:26:57

Courtesy of the Ottumwa Courier

Ref: Ottumwa, IA, dtd. 19 Feb. 1910 – AGED RESIDENT DIES – Stephen Green, One of the Pioneer Colored Men of the County is Dead – Death coming at 4 p.m., yesterday closed the long life of one of Ottumwa’s oldest citizens and perhaps the oldest colored pioneer of the county, when Stephen Green passed to the great beyond after a long and useful life. Mr. Green had reached the age of 91 years and much of his early life was spent as a slave in the family of old Judge Richard Ballinger of Lexington, KY. He came to Ottumwa about fifty years ago and has been a continual resident of this section ever since.

The funeral will be held from the residence, corner of Locust and Cherry streets, tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock. The service will be in charge of Rev. John W. Pool of the Main Street M.E. Church assisted by Rev. A. Lewis of the A.M.E. church. Interment will be in Ottumwa cemetery.

The pall bearers will be W. Bailey, R. Simms, A. P. Elliott, F. Sykes, Henry Williams and Frank Smith.

Ref: Ottumwa, IA, 22 Feb. 1910 – Peter Green Was A Pioneer – Aged Colored Man Who Was Buried Sunday Came Here In Early Days – Born In Slavery – An Expert Woodworker and Built Many of the Homes in the City During Ottumwa’s Village Period – The death of Stephen Green, whose funeral took place Sunday, marks the passing of a unique character in the history of Ottumwa. The passing away of this pioneer colored man has brought to the memory of many of the older citizens, recollections of the very early days in Ottumwa when bustling mercantile center of today was a struggling village with but little else than the optimism of its citizens as an incentive to grow and spread. Mr. Green was a former slave, but likewise one whose love for his old master and family was equaled only by the return of the same esteem from his former owner and children. He was a mechanic of the highest standard in the art of woodworking and building. He died at the advanced age of 91 years.

Born in Kentucky

Mr. Green was born a slave in the family of Judge Richard Ballinger, a circuit judge of the state of Kentucky, who resided in the little town of Barberville. In color Mr. Green was almost white and were it not for the conformation of the features, which unmistakable indicate the presence of Negro blood in his veins, he might pass anywhere as a white man.

In Slavery Days.

Stephen, for so he was named, was a comely, bright little fellow, and was from his birth a favorite and pet of the judge. He was quick to learn droll inimitable antics and mimicry, which come natural to children of his race, and this together with his singing and clever dancing made him a great source of amusement to the judge and members of his household.

Kept at Home

There was none of the hard work in the sun for him, no hoeing of cotton or tobacco till he was ready to drip from weariness. Instead he was kept to run errands about the house, and as he grew older he became the playmate and companion of the young children of the family. The judge’s business naturally kept him away from home a great deal of the time and as Stephen grew older and stronger he became the dependency of Mrs. Ballinger in care of the children and the management of the household, in this capacity as nurse and companion to the children and as assistant to Mrs. Ballinger he remained till he was 20 years of age.

Became a Carpenter

At his own request Stephen was permitted to go to a famous carpenter of that locality named Harry Patterson and learn the carpenter’s trade. In those days a carpenter to be first class had to know and be an expert at many more things than they do today.

Today they go to the mills and purchase their material all ready for cutting in proper length and nailing on. At that time the carpenter had to be able to cut down the tree, split it up, and make his own boards. He had to cut the groves and tongues on the flooring and make all his moldings, doors and window sashes.

Became Expert

Stephen learned, rapidly and partly because of his slight stature, but chiefly of his own preferences he took to the finer parts of the trade and soon became the most expert workman in that part of the country, despite the fact that the only learning he had ever received was to read the figures on his carpenter’s rule.

The fame of his workmanship spread over the country and in time Judge Ballinger received an offer from a famous Kentucky contractor named Captain Pullian for five years, during which time he did all the fine work in the dormitories of the Harrodsburg female seminary which is still standing as a monument to the good and substantial work of those days.

To Iowa in 1851

In 1851 when the news of the wonderful fertility of the Iowa soil first reached Kentucky, Judge Ballinger contracted for 1,700 acres of ground lying between what are now the towns of Keokuk and Montrose. Stephen was called home from Harrodsburg, fitted out with two light double team wagons and one saddle horse, and with $300 in his pocket was started to Iowa in charge with two sons of the judge, aged 19 & 17 years.

Built Home on Farm

According to the slave laws, upon crossing the Ohio River, Stephen would have been a free man had he desired to prove untrue to the trust reposed in him by his master. In his pocket, however, he had a contract signed by his master by which in return for one year’s faithful service in the state of Iowa, he was to obtain his freedom. The elder of the two sons sent with him, was Frank Ballinger, father of a Keokuk attorney of that name well known to the older members of the legal fraternity of the city. Finding the land owned by his master, Stephen Green bought plows, harrows, etc., and with the two boys put in a crop of wheat and corn for fodder during the winter. The thrifty Stephen erected a barn for the stock and grain. He felled the trees himself, had them hauled to a mill by oxen and had them cut into lumber, and by the time Judge Ballinger arrived from Kentucky at Christmas, all was complete.

Return to Trade

Upon the granting of his freedom, Judge Ballinger hired his former slave as a manager of his farm for a year at a salary. At the expiration of his contract, Stephen returned to work at his trade and did building and contracting in the vicinity of Keokuk for thirteen years. At the close of the war, with his wife, whom he married the second year of his stay in Iowa, he came to Ottumwa, arriving here in 1866 when Ottumwa had a populations of some 700 inhabitants. Carpenters were few in Ottumwa at that time and Mr. Green did much of the building for a number of years, both of business and residence structures. The stone residence that he built for his own home stands as one of the old landmarks at the corner of Locust and Cherry Streets. Always bright and cheerful, he spoke of his slave life in Kentucky as the most pleasant and ever cherished the highest regards for his old master. Of late years he went out but little and election day was among the few occasions that took him away from his home.