BALLARD SMITH ____________________________________________________________ This information graciously contributed by Joe George: jgeorge@northcoast.com You can return to the main table of contents for this Person family document by going to the books section of the Ark. USGW archives. You can also get a full copy of the document by contacting Joe. USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. ____________________________________________________________ BALLARD SMITH was born April 9, l859, the son of John Speed and Julia Lipps Smith. His children thought his place of birth to be Georgia and the family lived a short time in Alabama. The family moved to Arkansas from Indiana, some location near the Wabash river. Ballard was 21 years of age (1880) when they settled in old Neely community near Dardanelle, Arkansas. His mother died March 25, 1883 and his father died October 4, 1884. The two oldest daughters, Jennie and Martha, had married before their father's death. Ballard lived on with his brother Frank and sister Minnie to provide them a home. On February 4, 1886, Ballard married Belle Gilley (b 1869 d 1933), They continued to live on what is now known as the McClure farm in 1968. Minnie lived part time with her sisters and their families until her marriage in 1891. Frank lived around different places and with friends until he married in 1897. The Person and Phillips families had moved to White Oak Mountain by 1888. Around 1890 Ballard and Belle moved to White Oak Mountain also. By now, they had three children. One had died at birth and the two living were Nora born 1886 and Cora born 1890. They settled in Pope County, Arkansas, north of Diamond community. The nearest neighbor was 1 1/2 miles away and the road came to an end at this home. The house did not have any door shutters, only slats over the door openings to keep the wild animals out. Bed quilts were hung over openings to keep out the cold. On January 23, 1892, Lillie Smith was born in this home. There being no doctor available, her father delivered her. This information was later passed on to Walter Cooper by cousins of Lillie. The Coopers lived there in 1898. After Lillie's birth, Ballard decided to go trapping and hunting. He collected supplies for the family from some town near the mountain. He cut and stacked wood on the front porch for the family to have firewood while he was away. Belle, with three children, stayed alone for awhile without being disturbed. One night a mountain lion or other wild animal came into the yard howling and walked the yard fence. About this time, Edward Person dropped in to check on the family. Belle and her children returned home with Edward and spent a week. When she decided to go home, the Persons suggested that Uncle Hardy Lipps (a bachelor who lived in the Person home) go home with them for protection. He stayed with Belle three weeks. The next day after returning to the Person home he was found dead in bed from natural causes. This happened in 1892. When Ballard returned a month or so later he had grown a long beard and hair. The two oldest daughters did not recognize him. Before 1898, Ballard and Belle moved back to old Neely and lived there several years. Frank and Martha Smith, who married in 1897, lived with them when Jude Smith was a baby. Ballard and Belle moved to Perry County, Arkansas, and lived in out-of- the-way places mostly near Aplin. Frank and Martha followed them there and lived a short time. Ballard and Belle were the parents of 14 children. Some died as infants. The family lived at new Georgia community, south of Aplin, when Ballard died October 20, 1920. He was buried at the Smyrs cemetery at Pleasant Grove near Aplin, Perry County. His corpse was hauled to the cemetery in a wagon drawn by mules. In crossing Fourche river at the ford, the bed of the wagon almost floated away, it was dark when they reached that cemetery and a lantern or two were used to give light to lower the casket into the grave. His wife, Belle, lived around Aplin until her death in 1933. Pearl Smith Owens stayed in Carden Bottom each fall and picked cotton for the Hignights around 1920 and later. She was liked very much by the Person cousins.