Captain William Rankin Ballard (August 12, 1847 – February 4, 1929) was a

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

pioneer, banker, and land developer. He was one of the founders of the city of

Ballard, Washington Ballard is a neighborhood in the northwestern area of Seattle, Washington, United States. Formerly an independent city, the City of Seattle's official boundaries define it as bounded to the north by Crown Hill (N.W. 85th Street), to the east by ...

(incorporated in 1890) which was later annexed to the growing city of Seattle, Washington in 1907. As acting manager of the Seattle National Bank in the early 1890s, he facilitated the construction of what is now known as the Interurban Building in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. William Rankin Ballard was born to Levi Ward Ballard (founder of

Auburn, Washington Auburn is a city in King County, Washington, United States (with a small portion crossing into neighboring Pierce County). The population was 87,256 at the 2020 Census. Auburn is a suburb in the Seattle metropolitan area, and is currently rank ...

) and Phoebe Anne McConnellBALLARD-L Archives
Rootsweb. Accessed online May 23, 2008. August 12, 1847 in Perrysburg, Wood County, OhioCapt William Rankin Ballard
Find-a-Grave. Accessed online May 23, 2008. He married Estella Thorndike on November 12, 1882 in Seattle, and died in Seattle February 4, 1929. The title Captain derives from his command of the boat ''Zephyr''Walt Crowley
Seattle Neighborhoods: Ballard – Thumbnail History
HistoryLink, March 31, 1999. Accessed online May 23, 2008. that operated between Seattle and

Olympia The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...

to the south. Ballard High School was named for Capt. Ballard.

References

1847 births 1929 deaths History of Seattle Businesspeople from Seattle Maritime history of Washington (state) {{US-business-bio-1840s-stub 19th-century American businesspeople People from Perrysburg, Ohio