Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Page 666

THOMAS BALLANTINE, who was born in Delaware County, N. Y., July 4, 1825, is numbered among the most skillful and enterprising farmers and stock-raisers of Grant Township. He comes of excellent Scotch ancestry, his father having been born in the lowlands, in the southeastern part of Scotland, whence he emigrated when a young man in about 1800, and settled in Delaware County, N. Y. Grandmother Grant came to this country from Scotland even prior to that date. The former was very enterprising and industrious, and carried on a large business as a miller, distiller and farmer, the store for the sale of his wares being situated on his land. He spent the remainder of his life in the Empire State, resting from his earthly labors about 1839.

             David Ballantine, the father of our subject, after coming to America was married to Miss Anna Grant, a native of Albany, N. Y., and whose parents came from the Scottish Highlands. Of this union there were born ten children, seven of whom are living, and residents mostly of Wisconsin and New York. The father came to his death by drowning in the Delaware River while attempting to cross the stream with a team of horses in 1839. The wife and mother had died some years before.

             Thomas Ballantine became familiar with farm pursuits early in life, and also assisted his father in the distillery and the mill. Upon reaching his majority he determined to see something more of the world, and emigrating to the southwestern part of Wisconsin settled in Grant County, where he followed farming until coming to this county, in 1879. He was there married, on the 13th of February, 1854, to Miss Jane Adam, who was born in LaPorte, Ind., Oct. 4, 1835. Her father, Ezra Adam, was a native of Windham, Vt., and married Miss Margaret Dalton, who was of English birth and parentage. Our subject and his wife commenced life together on a farm in Grant County, Wis., and upon crossing the Mississippi Mr. B. at once secured possession of his present farm by trading with his brother for another piece of property, and has since operated successfully making a specialty of fine stock, including graded Norman horses and Shorthorn cattle.

            Mr. Ballantine takes little interest in politics, but uniformly votes the straight Republican ticket. He has steadily avoided becoming an office-holder, preferring to confine his labors to his farm, and his attention to the comfort of his family.

            Of the seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Ballantine six are living, namely: Mary Ann, George, Robert, David, Grant and Lillis. Mary is the wife of James Smith, who is farming near the Ballantine homestead; Robert, David and Grant are also married, and residents of Grant Township; the other children are at home with their parents; Janet died when an interesting young lady twenty-two years of age, on the 11th of January, 1884.

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