Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 942 - 943

CHARLES BALLANCE, senior member of the firm operating the Wichita Steam Stone Works, which occupy a leading position among the industries of the city, is a native of the Prairie State, and a gentleman in the prime of life, having been born March 23, 1847, in Peoria County, Ill. He there learned the trade of stonecutter, and when of suitable years embarked in business for himself. He always took a lively interest in his chosen vocation, and was one of the first men in Illinois to use machinery in dressing stone, providing his shop with machinery in 1872.

             The attention of our subject was first called to this machinery by the perusal of articles relating to this subject in the columns of the "Scientific American." Mr. Ballance, from the first, was ambitious to excel as an artisan in this line, and judging from the result of his operations west of the Mississippi, it is fair to suppose that his aspirations have been gratified to a large extent. He left Peoria in the spring of 1887 with a firm belief in the future of Wichita and Southern Kansas generally, and thus far he has had no reason to complain. 

            Our subject, in 1882, formed a partnership with Charles F. Jaus, locating their workshop in the city of Peoria, and thereafter building up an extensive business and furnishing the stone work for some of the largest buildings, including the National Hotel, the Masonic Temple, the County Insane Building, Peoria County Court House, the First National Bank building, the Union Depot, the Watch Factory, and others too numerous to mention. In fact they became the most extensive contractors in cut stone work in Central Illinois.

            In May, 1887, this firm, observing the rapid growth of Wichita, removed thither with their works, bringing with them also a large force of skilled employes. Many of these had learned their trade with the firm and been in its employ for years.

             In Wichita this firm has furnished the cut stone for the Lawrence & Seaman building on the West Side, the Stem, Hauck & Wilkie building, corner of Lawrence and William avenues, the Smith & Skinner building on Market street, the Pollock & Pierce building on Topeka avenue, and the Zimmerly building on Douglas avenue. This last is the finest and most beautiful structure in Wichita, the front alone being fashioned at an expense of $13,000. The design is unique and chaste, and the carving executed in a manner that exhibits the most skillful workmanship. The building in all respects is a credit to the Wichita Steam Stone Works, and would do honor to New York City or Euclid avenue, Cleveland.

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