Johnson County >> 1912 Index

Leading Events in Johnson County, Iowa
by Charles R. Aurner. 2 vols. Cedar Rapids: Western Hist. Pr., 1912-13.

B

Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

GEORGE WASHINGTON BALL
 
Very few men in Iowa City have witnesses more material changes in Johnson county than the subject of this sketch, who was born Fairfield, Jefferson county, Iowa, June 7, 1847.  His parents were pioneers, having settled in this county during the spring of 1840.  George W. remained on the farm assisting his father, and attending the rural schools.  At the age of twenty-three he removed to Des Moines where he remained about four years.
 
November, 1874, he removed to Iowa City, and established himself in law and has been in active practice since that time. He formed a partnership with Mr. Baker and their firm continue as such until 1905, when George W. Ball, Jr., was admitted.  The death of Mr. Baker occurring July 1, 1910, the father and son continue the business, their offices being in the Crescent block.
 
After attending the rural schools, Mr. Ball continued his studies for some time at Fairfield college, one year at Iowa Wesleyan college at Mt. Pleasant, and then completed the law course of the State University of Iowa, graduating with the class on 1870.  He immediately took up the practice of law in Des Moines, Iowa.
 
The Ball family are direct descendants of one of the earliest Colonial families of Virginia.  Smith Ball, father of George W., was born in Madison county, Ky., July 29, 1810, and died at Fairfield, Iowa, December 13, 1890; his mother, Rebecca (Moffitte) Ball, was born in Fayette county, Kentucky, February 25, 1814, and died in Jefferson county, Iowa, October 3, 1902.  There were seven children in the family:  Emily Ann Case, born in Sangamon county, Illinois, March 27, 1838, died in Jefferson county, Iowa, November 18, 1895; Mary Melissa Phillips, born march 25, 1849, resides in Birmingham, Iowa; Sarah Frances, born March 10, 1845, died 1895; the  subject of this sketch; Margaret Cassander Fisher, born December 10, 1849, died August 20, 1905; Lewis Cass, born January 18, 1852, resides in Fairfield, Iowa; Frank Pierce, born February 25, 1854, resides in Jefferson county, Iowa.
 
Mr. Ball was married January 1, 1880, to Estelle E. Walker, who was born in Henry county, Iowa, April 29, 1854.  Miles Walker, her father, was born in Indiana, February 22, 1827; died September, 1895.  Her mother, Jane (McDowell) Walker, was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, October 27, 1822, and at present resides with her daughter, Mrs. Ball, in Iowa City.  The grandfather, William Walter, was an Iowa pioneer, settling in the state in 1834.  Mrs. Ball had one brother and three sisters; Joseph P., born in Henry county, Iowa, April 2, 1852, resides in Putnam county, Missouri; Dora Dell Dean, wife of Henry Clay Dean, born at Mount Pleasant, September 16, 1856, died in Putnam county, Missouri, January 2, 1911; Mrs. Luella Porter, born in Mount Pleasant, Henry county, Iowa, October 23, 1858, resides in Putnam county, Missouri; Mrs. Lavanda Helene Babcock, born October 23, 1861, resides in Custer county, Nebraska.
 
To Mrs. and Mrs. Ball have been born three sons and one daughter:  George Washington, Jr. (see sketch), born February 16, 1881, associated with his father in the practice of law in Iowa City; graduated from Iowa City high school, class of 1897, from the Liberal Arts Department of the State University of Iowa in 1901, and from the Law Department in 1903; he is major in 54th Regiment, I. N. G.; Henry Moffitte, born February 23, 1883, attended high school, two years in the Academy, and two years in civil engineering in the University and is now conducting a ranch in Montana; Walter McDowell, born February 23, 1883 - twin of the former - graduated from the Academy, three years in the Liberal Arts Department of the State University of Iowa, completed the course in the law school of the same, graduating in 1909, practicing law, and conducts an abstract office at Fort Benton, Montana; Edith B. Macbride, born November 29, 1887, wife of Philip D., resides in Seattle, Washington.  There are two grandchildren:  Virginia Hester Ball, and George W. Ball III.
 
In politics Mr. Ball is a democrat.  He was a member of the city council from 1881 to 1883, and representative from Johnson county in the 21st General Assembly, 1886-87.
 
He was state senator in 28th-29th General Assemblies, 1900-04, and mayor of Iowa City two terms, 1905-09.  Mr. Ball is a member of board of directors, and vice president of the First National Bank of Iowa City.  He is a member of the board of curators of the State Historical Society.
 
In his social relations he is a member of Iowa City lodge No. 4, A. F. & A. M., Iowa Chapter No. 2, Palestine Commandery, K. T., member of De Molay Consistory No. 1, of Clinton, 32nd degree, member of El Kahir Temple, A. A, O. N. M. S. (Mystic Shrine),of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  He has been W. M. of Iowa City lodge No. 4, H. P. of Iowa City Chapter No. 2, Eminent Commander of Palestine Commandery No. 2, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Iowa for two terms, and of a sequence Past Grand Master, Grand High Priest of Grand Chapter of Iowa, and Grand Prelate of the Grand Commandery of Iowa.
 
Both Mr. and Mrs. Ball are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Iowa City.  They reside in a modern home at 429 N. Clinton street.  Their children were all educated in institutions of Iowa City.  Mrs. Ball attended Simpson college at Indianola, Iowa, completing the course and graduating in the class of 1876.  She is a member of the O. E. S., No. 35, and is also a member of the Beta Chapter of the Phi Beta Phi at Simpson, transferred to the Zeta Chapter, of Iowa City.

JOHN BELL

The centennial year of American independence witnessed the arrival in Boston, Massachusetts, of a young Irishman twenty-four years of age named John Bell, a native of County Down. He was a stranger in a strange land, but his heart was filled with the love of liberty and in his soul burned the principles of true patriotism. He had the right stuff out of which to make a good American. For four years he worked in the city containing Faneuil Hall, and his daily view of Bunker Hill monument gave strength to his purposes of patriotism and warmed his heart towards the country of the oppressed. Having worshipped at Liberty's cradle, he determined to journey to the heart of the great west, and in March, 1880, came to Johnson county, Iowa, where he bought and settled upon a farm of eighty acres. His present home stands upon those eighty acres, but he has added to his holdings yet other three hundred and forty acres, so that today he is the possessor of four hundred and twenty acres of as fine land as the sun shines on in the Mississippi valley. From this it will be rightly inferred that the young Irishman of 1856 had made good in the land of Liberty.

John Bell liked farming from the beginning, and in addition to the ordinary work of tilling the soil he took up the special business of stock raising. In this he was eminently successful. Today he is rated as one of the wealthy farmers of Johnson county. But in addition to making money and acquiring property, he has also made friends. Always a good fellow, he has not been spoiled by the increase of wealth, and he is held in high esteem by those who have the good fortune of his acquaintance, and their name is legion.

In 1879, in Boston, a romance of the young Irishman's former residence there was revealed in his marriage in November of that year to Miss Susan Kane, who, be it known, is also a native of Ireland and came to America in that same centennial year, being then a young lady. The union of John Bell and Susan Kane was the joining of two faithful hearts that have beat true as steel during all these thirty-five years. Eleven children have made glad their fireside, eight of whom are living: James H., married and living on a farm in Fremont township; John A., died when seventeen years old; Mary E., now Mrs. Chester M. Estel, living in Muscatine county on a farm; Susan Jane, now Mrs. Ben Keeler, living in Fremont township; Charles S., residing at home; William, residing at home; Anne R., attending high school and residing at home; Margaret, attending school and living at home; Robert John, living at home; two others died in infancy.

In politics Mr. Bell is a republican. He is a member of the Reformed church of the United States. He still resides on the original eighty acres which he bought in 1880, in Fremont township.