David Wesley Ballard (February 21, 1824 – September 18, 1883) was an American politician and physician who served as the third governor of
Idaho Territory from 1866 to 1870. Unlike many territorial governors of the
Reconstruction Era
The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
, Ballard resided in his jurisdiction during his tenure.
[Confederate Idaho and the '... most puerile happening that was ever enacted in the history of the Territory'](_blank)
(accessed 21 October 2013) A physician by trade, Ballard actively practiced medicine in
Boise
Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown area' ...
throughout his tenure as territorial governor.
Early life and education
Ballard was born in
Bridgeport, Indiana. He studied medicine in his native town and graduated from the
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
The University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center (AHC) is a collection of health colleges and institutions of the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. It trains health care professionals and provides research and patient care. AHC has st ...
.
Career
Ballard soon grew a large medical practice in
Monrovia, Indiana
Monrovia is a town in Monroe Township, Morgan County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 1,063 at the 2010 census. History
Monrovia was laid out in 1834, Laid after Liberia's Capital Name. The town's name is derived from Monroe To ...
. He later relocated with his family to
Linn County, six miles from Lebanon, Oregon Territory. Again his medical practice grew large and his neighbors developed a trust in his integrity. He was elected to the
Oregon State Senate soon after Oregon's admission to statehood in 1859.
Territorial governor
On the recommendation of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
Senator
George Henry Williams
George Henry Williams (March 26, 1823April 4, 1910) was an American judge and politician. He served as chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, was the 32nd Attorney General of the United States, and was elected Oregon's U.S. senator, and serv ...
, Ballard was appointed territorial governor by President
Andrew Johnson in April 1866. When he arrived in Idaho Territory in June he found the government in serious disarray. The territory was still reeling from the mismanagement of Ballard's predecessor,
Caleb Lyon
Caleb Lyon (December 7, 1822 – September 8, 1875) was Governor of Idaho Territory from 1864 to 1865 during the last half of the American Civil War.
Biography
Caleb Lyon was the son of Marietta Henrietta Dupont (1788–1869) and Caleb Lyon ...
, deeply divided over the controversial decision to move the capital from
Lewiston to Boise, and nearly broke because former territorial secretary Horace C. Gilson had embezzled most of the territory's funds while serving as acting governor between Lyon and Ballard's administrations.
A
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
who supported the Union during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Ballard often clashed with the overwhelmingly-
Democratic and pro-
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
territorial legislature. At the time many of the top federally appointed officials in Idaho Territory hailed from Oregon, particularly from
Yamhill County
Yamhill County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 107,722. The county seat is McMinnville. Yamhill County was named after the Yamhelas, members of the Kalapuya Tribe.
Yamhill Cou ...
. These officials were strongly linked to
Radical Republican
The Radical Republicans (later also known as "Stalwarts") were a faction within the Republican Party, originating from the party's founding in 1854, some 6 years before the Civil War, until the Compromise of 1877, which effectively ended Recon ...
policies, which were unpopular in Idaho Territory. Although Ballard was not from Yamhill County, as an Oregonian he was often associated with this group.
Legislative pay controversy
Upon his arrival, Ballard learned that the legislature of 1865 had passed an act abolishing extra pay for the governor and secretary, but retaining, and even increasing, their own and that of their clerks. Public furor over this arbitrary exercise of power caused the legislature to restore it a few days afterward by another act. Ballard, in response, approved of the measure, and suggested that the territory be saved the whole of the extra money, including monies to Democratic legislators.
Despite this, the territorial legislature contacted federal Treasury Secretary
Hugh McCulloch
Hugh McCulloch (December 7, 1808 – May 24, 1895) was an American financier who played a central role in financing the American Civil War. He served two non-consecutive terms as U.S. Treasury Secretary under three presidents. He was originally ...
and advised him they were three sessions behind in pay due to the embezzlement and Lyon's disastrous administration. In response territorial secretary Solomon R. Howlett informed McCulloch that many of the legislators had refused to sign an oath of allegiance to the union per an 1862 act of Congress and were therefore ineligible for any back pay to begin with. Although McCulloch allocated the territory $20,000 towards legislative back pay, he advised Howlett not to pay any legislator who hadn't signed the "ironclad oath of allegiance" upon election. The legislature responded by passing a bill exempting itself from the federal law, claiming that it only applied to Washington appointees. Calling the legislation "presumptuous," Ballard vetoed it on the grounds that it violated the Idaho
Organic Act
In United States law, an organic act is an act of the United States Congress that establishes a territory of the United States and specifies how it is to be governed, or an agency to manage certain federal lands. In the absence of an organ ...
of 1863, which established the territory. Legislators reacted violently, and within hours either Ballard or Howlett ordered federal troops to enter legislative chambers to quell the unrest. In January 1867 Howlett offered back pay to any legislator willing to sign the oath retroactively, effectively defusing the situation.
Nevertheless, the Idaho Territorial Legislature attempted to have Ballard removed from office. In 1867 Idaho Territory's Democratic Congressional delegate
Edward Dexter Holbrook temporarily convinced President
Andrew Johnson to suspend Ballard and nominate Isaac Gibbs to replace him, but Johnson soon changed his mind and Ballard remained.
Later career
By 1869, Ballard's administration patched many its differences with the territorial legislature and managed to address many of the serious issues it inherited. Upon the expiration of his term of office in 1870, two-thirds of the citizens of Idaho Territory petitioned for Ballard's reappointment by President
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
, but by the time it reached Grant he had already appointed a successor,
Gilman Marston
Gilman Marston (August 20, 1811July 3, 1890) was a United States representative, Senator, and United States Army general from New Hampshire.
Early life
Marston was born in Orford, New Hampshire. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1837 and fr ...
, who ultimately declined the position. Three subsequent appointees either declined or quickly resigned the post until Grant finally found a lasting replacement in
Thomas W. Bennett, several months after Ballard left office.
Ballard returned to Oregon after his term expired. There, he resumed and expanded his medical practice which became the largest in the state. He also returned to the
Oregon State Senate.
Personal life
He married Jane Eliza Rooker (1831–1891) in 1848 in Morgan County, Indiana. They had nine children: Lonner L., Oscar, Frank Rooker, Florence E., Carrie, Maud M., Ora, and two daughters, Amanda D. and Mary J., who died in infancy.
Ballard was a direct descendant of
Thomas Ballard, Jr., the chief founder of Yorktown, Virginia in 1705; speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses, beginning in 1692; and who granted his land in 1693 to trustees for the founding of William and Mary College.
Ballard died on September 18, 1883 at age 59. He is interred at Lebanon Pioneer Cemetery in
Lebanon, Oregon
Lebanon ( ) is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States. Lebanon is located in northwest Oregon, southeast of Salem. The population was 18,447 at the 2020 census. Lebanon sits beside the South Santiam River on the eastern edge of the Will ...
.
References
External links
Find A Grave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballard, David W.
1824 births
1883 deaths
Governors of Idaho Territory
Indiana Republicans
Oregon Republicans
Oregon state senators
People from Lebanon, Oregon
People from Marion County, Indiana
Idaho Republicans
People from Linn County, Oregon
19th-century American politicians
Physicians from Idaho
Physicians from Oregon
Physicians from Indiana