Paul Balliet (1811-1886)
Life
Paul Balliet was born in Whitehall Township, Ballietsville on May 11, 1811, to Stephen Balliet (1753-1821) and Magdalena Burgalter (1765-1805)[1]. Paul Balliet was home schooled for the majority of his early life, and later studied in Easton, PA[2].
Paul married Sarah Moyer, from Whitehall. They had four children. He married Kate Emery later on May 20, 1878.
Paul was a Republican and served as county commissioner, as well as was a member of the German Reformed Church of Unionville.[3]
One can see property owned by Paul Balliet on the 1865 map of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania (1865 Aschbach Map of Lehigh County) [4]
Work
Paul Balliet worked on his father's farm, which he in later years bought for himself. He also managed a store in Heidelberg township, as well as managed a furnace that his father owned. Along with his brothers Aaron and John, he "embarked in mining enterprise" in North Whitehall, as well as was a stockholder at Coplay furnace, which was close to his home.[5]
In 1863, Paul Balliet was reported as one of the top 20 earners in Lehigh County, along with his brother, Aaron, and brother-in-law, Benjamin Levan (1806-1886). That year he earned $7309 through his interests in the Ironton Iron Mine and the Lehigh Valley Iron Company [6].
Notes
References
- Aschbach, G. A. n.d. Map of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania : From Original Surveys. Image. Philadelphia: M.H. Traubel. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012592181/.
- Hellerich, Mahlon Howard. 1987. A History of Allentown: 1861-1865.” In Allentown 1762-1987: A 225-Year History, edited by Mahlon Howard. Hellerich, 91–180. Allentown, PA: Lehigh County Historical Society.
- Mathews, Alfred, and Austin N Hungerford. 1884. History of the Counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Everts & Richards.