View source for John Balliet (1819-1886)

==Family==

John Balliet was born on November 13, 1819 in Ballietsville, North Whitehall Township, PA to [[Stephen Balliet (1781-1854)]] and Susan Iherie<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 555</ref>. His grandparents were [[Stephen Balliet (1753-1821)]] and [[Magdalena Burgalter (1765-1805)]]<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 555</ref>. John Balliet married Amanda Rehrig in 1838. He had fourteen children<ref>Brenckman 1913, 370</ref>; however, four of those children were with Elizabeth Dankel<ref>Weekly Notes of Cases 1880, 387-388</ref>. John Balliet's children with Amana Rehrig are as follows: Isabella Balliet (1854-1888); Alice Balliet (1859-1879); Lewis Balliet (1862-1930)<ref>Find a Grave</ref>; Emma Balliet Semmel (1864-1934); John William Balliet (1869-1934); Amanda Sabina Balliet; Benjamin Matthis Balliet(1873-1881)<ref>Find a Grave</ref>; Martha Sophia Balliet (1876-1949)<ref>Find a Grave</ref>; Charles David Balliet(1882-1882)<ref>Find a Grave</ref>; and Harry Balliet(1878-1949)<ref>Brenckman 1913, 370</ref>.

https://zenodo.org/api/iiif/v2/b953bd1e-b5b8-47f9-9e0e-2d0452e46cfe:37f7a66d-5495-457c-b110-0053b76a112f:John%20Balliet%20Mathews%20Hungerford%201884.png/full/750,/0/default.png


From 1856-1874, John Balliet lived with Elizabeth Dankel (1839-?) as his wife, though they were not married. Elizabeth Dankel was fifteen or sixteen when the relationship began<ref>Reading Times, March 12, 1878</ref>. During this time, they had four children, including Susan Balliet (1853–1888), Steven John Balliet (1860–1919), Mary J. Balliet (1864–1930)<ref>Find a Grave</ref>, and Minerva Balliet (1870–1951)<ref>Reading Times, March 12, 1878</ref>. They resided in East Penn[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Penn_Township,_Carbon_County,_Pennsylvania] until May, 1866, when they moved to Slatington[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slatington,_Pennsylvania], purchased land, and built a house; John Balliet gave Elizabeth Dankel the deed<ref>Reading Times, March 12, 1878</ref>. In 1874, John Balliet left Dankel and brought suit against her to force her out of the Slatington house. Although the local judge agreed with John Balliet, the case went to the Supreme Court, who ruled that Balliet legally possessed the land<ref>Reading Times, March 12, 1878</ref>[http://www.newspapers.com/image/46391696]; <ref>Weekly Notes of Cases 1880, 387-388</ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQkVAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA387&ots=L4w9yQ0RpA&dq=john%20Balliet%20Elizabeth%20Dankel&pg=PR3#v=onepage&q=john%20Balliet%20Elizabeth%20Dankel&f=false]. Census records indicate that Elizabeth resided with John in 1860[https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBSX-9PN3?cc=1473181&wc=7QTM-9KJ%3A1589434177%2C1589435020%2C1589422406], but not in 1870[https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6LWS-YDY?cc=1438024&wc=9227-RMZ%3A518666601%2C520079001%2C520081501] or in 1880 [https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBH-GD7?cc=1417683&wc=QZ27-THY%3A1589394781%2C1589413376%2C1589413679%2C1589395442]. In the 1880 census [https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBH-GD7?cc=1417683&wc=QZ27-THY%3A1589394781%2C1589413376%2C1589413679%2C1589395442], Elizabeth is listed as "keeping house" in the house of [[John Rowine]] in Slatington. 

John Balliet died on January 5, 1886.

==Early Life==
John Balliet was raised with a minimal education<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 556</ref> and took a position working at the [[Lehigh Furnace]], which was owned by his father<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 555</ref>. He later became the co-owner, alongside his brothers [[Paul Balliet (1811-1886)]] and [[Aaron Balliet (1813-1895)]], and superintendent of said property <ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 555</ref>.

==Places of Residence and Work==
After moving away from his hometown, John Balliet moved East Penn Township to become the superintendent of the [[East Penn Furnace]], which was later partially destroyed by floods<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 556</ref>. John Balliet rebuilt, leased, and successfully ran the furnace for many years. In 1864 Slatington, PA was incorporated as a borough and John Balliet served on the council of the borough in 1882<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 560</ref>. In 1872 he moved to Bowmansville [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowmansville,_Pennsylvania], where he married Amanda Rehrig<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 556</ref>.

==Business==
John Balliet was the owner of Balliet's charcoal furnace in Ashfield[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashfield,_Pennsylvania]<ref>Brenckman 1913, 370</ref>, also known as the [[East Penn Furnace]]. John Balliet purchased the [[East Penn Forge]] and Furnace in 1858 and ran it until his death in 1886. The furnace ceased operation following the death of John Balliet, bringing an end to the charcoal furnaces in the Lehigh Valley.

John Balliet was the director of the National Bank of Slatington, which was organized in 1875<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 564</ref>. He was also a shareholder of the Lehigh furnace in Allentown and Coplay<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 556</ref>.

John Balliet owned extensive real estate, a planing mill, and a lumberyard<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 556</ref>. John Balliet also possessed several farms and built and refurbished buildings<ref>Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 556</ref>. In addition, he owned a store in Bowmanstown<ref> Mathews and Hungerford 1884, 767</ref> and was the owner of the Bowmanstown Hotel <ref>Brenckman 1913, 370</ref>. Much of this land was used for [[charcoal production]] for use as fuel in the two iron furnaces and the forge. John Balliet's lands, totaling more than eight hundred acres, were sold at an Orphans' Court Sale by Victor Bowman and Lewis F. Balliet on December 20, 1890[http://www.newspapers.com/image/75681105/]"<ref>Carbon Advocate December 13, 1890</ref>.

==Notes==
<references />

== References ==
*Brenckman, Frederick Charles. 1913. ''History of Carbon County, Pennsylvania: Also Containing a Separate Account of the Several Boroughs and Townships in the County, with Biographical Sketches.'' Harrisburg, Pa: J. J. Nungesser.
*Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 26 May 2020), memorial page for Lewis F. Balliet (4 Nov 1862–30 Jun 1930), Find a Grave Memorial no. 78306618, citing Towamensing Cemetery, Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Tim Gruber (contributor 47185765).
*Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 26 May 2020), memorial page for Martha S Balliet Neyer (1876–1949), Find a Grave Memorial no. 155545043, citing Union Cemetery, Slatington, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Lois Revenaugh (contributor 46922006).
*Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 26 May 2020), memorial page for Mary J. Balliet Romine (1864–1930), Find a Grave Memorial no. 114161118, citing Mount Vernon Cemetery, Elizabeth, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by L Evans (contributor 47540766).
* Mathews, Alfred, and Austin N Hungerford. 1884. ''History of the Counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.'' Philadelphia: Everts & Richards.
*Reading Times. 1878. ''What Constitutes a Conveyance of Land,'' March 12, 1878.
*The Carbon Advocate. 1890. ''Orphans’ Court Sale of Very Valuable Real Estate!- John Balliet,'' December 13, 1890.
*''United States Census.'' 1860. Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBSX-9PN3?cc=1473181&wc=7QTM-9KJ%3A1589434177%2C1589435020%2C1589422406 : 24 March 2017), Pennsylvania > Lehigh > Washington Township > image 59 of 61; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
*''United States Census.'' 1870. Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6LWS-YDY?cc=1438024&wc=9227-RMZ%3A518666601%2C520079001%2C520081501 : 22 May 2014), Pennsylvania > Lehigh > Slatington > image 32 of 40; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
*''United States Census.'' 1880. Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBH-GD7?cc=1417683&wc=QZ27-THY%3A1589394781%2C1589413376%2C1589413679%2C1589395442 : 24 December 2015), Pennsylvania > Lehigh > Slatington > ED 188 > image 31 of 33; citing NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
*''Weekly Notes of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, The County Courts of Philadelphia, and the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Members of the Bar''. 1880. Vol. VIII. Philadelphia, Pa.: Kay and Brother. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQkVAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA387&ots=L4w9yQ0RpA&dq=john%20Balliet%20Elizabeth%20Dankel&pg=PR3#v=onepage&q=john%20Balliet%20Elizabeth%20Dankel&f=false].