O. R. BALLARD
O. R. Ballard is a son of Dr. S .M. Ballard, one of the earliest settlers of this part of Iowa. Dr. Ballard was born in Virginia in January, 1810. His father died when he was a child, and he removed with his mother to Ohio. He studied medicine, and graduated at Cincinnati, having taught school for some time, thereby obtaining funds to pursue and complete his education. He began the practice of his profession in Ohio, and in 1840 removed to Iowa City, where he continued practice, and published the Iowa City Republican for years. He came to western Iowa, location at Council Bluffs, as early as 1850, and there opened the first land office in that place. He entered a large amount of land in Audubon county in 1852, including a large portion of what is now known as Oakfield township. He had a government contract for surveying land, and surveyed several of the townships in that county. Later, he purchased large tracts of land in Pymosa and other townships of Cass county. At the time of his decease, in May, 1883, he owned thirty-four hundred acres in one tract in Audubon county, also a large amount of land in Pymosa township. He continued the practice of medicine until about fifteen years previous to his death. His widow, formerly Sarah Johnson, a native of Ohio, is now living at Council Bluffs. They had nine children, only two of whom survive...O.R. and Virginia E. (Robinson). O.R. Ballard resides upon section 22 of Pymosa township. He was born in Warren county, Ohio, in 1838, and came west with his father. He was married to Sarah L. Lorah, a daughter of Judge Lorah, of this township, and a native of Wayne county, Ohio. They have a family of four sons and three daughters.
Transcribed by Gloria Goltiani from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pp. 562.
