Dr. Seneca Ball

        DR. SENECA BALL (deceased) was born in Warren County, Ohio, August 18, 1798. His father, Calvin Ball, was born in Morris County, New Jersey, and was the son of Deacon John Ball, who died at the age of ninety-five. Dr. Ball’s mother was Christina, the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Eulass, of Rockingham County, Virginia. Dr. Ball was educated first, in the old log schoolhouse of his day, then attended a graded school at Waynesville, Ohio, then studied Latin under Judge Wick, at Lebanon, and then became his own preceptor. He read medicine under Dr. William Bunnell, at Washington, Ind., and then, with his brother Cyrus, engaged in merchandising in Lafayette, Ind., February, 1828. In August, he returned to Ohio and married Miss Eliza Blackford, came back to Lafayette, continued his business, and practiced until November, 1831; removed to La Porte, Ind., remained there four years merchandising, and on Christmas Day, 1836, came to Valparaiso, being thus one of its earliest settlers. He continued in trade a few years longer, sold his stock and resumed practice, which he followed until, in his judgment, the infirmities of age disqualified him. He went to Kansas in 1868, and returned in 1874, making his home with his son Erasmus until his death, October 4, 1875. He was the father of three children –Mrs. Angeline Gregg, of Garnett, Kans.; Erasmus, and Cornelia, who died the wife of Judge Henry W. Talcott, of Kansas. The Doctor had served his fellow citizens as Probate Judge, State Representative for Porter and Lake Counties, and as Justice of the Peace.

Source: Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana. Historical and Biographical. Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor. Charles Blanchard, Biographical Editor. F.A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1882, page 232.