Story written by Uriah Ballard, who settled on a farm near Marion, Indiana. Son of Jesse, Byrum, Thomas. Written about 1900.
A story for Christmas by Grandpa.
Your great great granpa emigrated from NC and settledin the territory of Indiana in what is now Orange Co., IN in the year of 1813, 87 or 88 years ago. His name was Joshua Carter, a medium sized, jolly, energetic, sensible and industrious, freckled face, sandy headed man of Irish or Scotch Irish decent.
Great great grandmother Carter's maiden name was Maxwell, I don't remember her given name, from the fact that I never heard it spoken. (Elizabeth) but a very few times. Grandpas pet name for her was "Mammy". He and his family moved from the above place to a location a little south west of Mooresville, Morgan Co., IN in the year 1816, the year Indiana was admitted to the Union.
Your great great granpa Byram Ballard came from NC to Clinton Co., OH where Great grandpa, Jesse Ballard, was born and lived until he was a young man. He then came west, an Uncle (Thomas Ballard) to near Friendswood, Hendricks Co., IN and worked some time, sometime from 1816 til 1820. I do not know the exact date, he went five miles west of Mooresville and entered some land some three miles from where any white person lived.
The country was all a wilderness, and there was wolves, deer, wild cats, and wild turkeys in abundance.
Great grandpa Ballard built a log cabin right in the green woods. When he and great grandma Sarah (Carter) Ballard were married they moved into the cabin and commenced keeping house.
Their nearest neighbor was three miles off away through the thick woods. No road, no field, no houses, or towns, nothing but the cabin, woods and wild animals for miles all around.
The story ended here, the original is suppose to be in the Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, Wayne Co., but I don't know if it is still there or not. I would like to find the rest of it tho.
Sue Chapell