1830: March: marriage in Bond County, IL to Catherine Bartlett, but probably living in Montgomery County.
1830 census: Montgomery County: Wm. B. Ballard, 20-30; female, 20-30; no children

1830: March, peiti juror list for next term, Montgomery County
1831: Montgomery County Grantors index, Book 1: William B. Ballard, granted land (Lots 55 and 58, Hillsboro). Dec. 7, 1831. Deed Book A, P. 154.
1832. Sept. 24, bought land in Montgomery County, IL
1832. Dec. appt. justice of the peace, also Nov 10 1832 [card FHL, LDS]
1838: Land Patent, William Bland Ballard, Montgomery County, IL
1840 Census: Montgomery County, page 383, William "S." Ballard, b. 1800-1810, wife b. 1800-1810, 1 male, b. 1835-1840, 1 males, b. 1830-1835, one female, b. 1830-1835, living near S. Brockman, Henry Petticoe, Robert H. Powell, Mary Condiff, S. Bartlett, Sarah Grewer, William Morris, John Beck.

1846: Aug. 28, commissioned Co., 43rd Reg. (Exec. Rec.)
1847: Cand. for justice of peace

1850: Oct. 9, 1850, Montgomery County; living next to Nathaniel Whitmore, Eliza and Mary, full brother of Sarah Jane Whitmore.
Wm. B. Ballard, 52, farmer, 4000, VA,
Catharine, 38, KY
Lewis, 19, IL, farmer
Elizabeth, 17, IL
William F., 10, IL
Catharine, 9, IL
Nancy, 7, IL
Riley, 4, IL
Daniel Davis, 38, unknown
Benton Beck, 30, unknown
William Verden, 19, KY
Marion Davis, 22, IL


History of Oconee:
The first town laid out in the township of Oconee was called Luro, (upon Section 5), about 1854. When the
Illinois Central R. R. was being constructed, Dr. Ballard laid out the town, which gave promise of being of
some importance, but the R. R. company refusing to put in a switch, its enterprise speedily died out. Ervin
Sanders erected a store and sold the first goods in the town. Freeman, Roberts & Hinton also put up a store,
and opened a stock of goods in Dec. 1854. The town died out and the store buildings were removed to
Oconee, a newer town, laid out in the following year. April, 1855, Oconee was surveyed by E. G.
Shallenberger, the county surveyor, on Section 20, for Morris, Ketchum & Co. Freeman, Roberts & Hinton
having removed their store building from Luro, began selling goods in August, 1855. This was the first stock of
goods taken into the town of Oconee.

• Married: 7 MAR 1830 in Bond County, Illinois

1. Lewis McLain BALLARD , Sr. b: 4 JAN 1831 in Audubon, Montgomery, IL "Reverend" Lewis M. Ballard
2. Elizabeth BALLARD b: SEP 1833 in Montgomery County, IL; says father born VA in 1880 census
3. William F. BALLARD , Sr. b: 1839 in Montgomery County, IL [life insurance agent in Chicago in 1870
4. Catherine BALLARD b: 21 MAR 1842 in near Hillsboro, Montgomery, IL [pension file of husband]
5. Nancy BALLARD b: 1843 in IL
6. Ralph Riley E. BALLARD b: ABT 1847 in Audubon/Rosemond, Montgomery, IL