J.D. Ball

His granddaughter, Melissa (Ball) Kendrick of Ukiah, wrote the following sketch of his early life. The History of Mendocino County of 1880 gives the same information.

Mr. Ball (known always in Anderson Valley as “J.D.” Ball) was born in Madison County, New York, on February 22, 1827. In 1844 this young man had left his home and traveled to Wisconsin where he farmed until 1850. Then he joined a party bound for California. He traveled by horse-team, and reached “Hangtown,” now Placerville, in August. Here he tried the gold mines for two years, then came on to Anderson Valley, where he chose an acreage about a mile northwest of what is now Boonville.

Here he put in crops and planted an orchard. While preparing this spot for a permanent home, he built a little log house for his own headquarters in what later became Boonville. It stood about opposite the present Boonville Hotel, northeast of the Indian Trail which was the only “road” through the valley at the time.

About 1854, Alonzo B. Kendall arrived (ancestor of Sheriff Matt Kendall). With him was his twin sister, Melissa, a young widow with two little girls. J.D. Ball and Melissa (Rendall Filkins) were married January 1, 1885, and the log cabin became their residence. Emily (Ball) Miller and Zola Willis both remembered the log building. When a house was completed on the ranch where he had homesteaded, the little family of four moved there.

To the couple were born eight children. The Ball ranch was an active place. In addition to farming and sheep raising, Mr. Ball set up a brick kiln on the low land below the house. He used manzanita wood, of which there wus an ample supply, for the fire, and clay from nearby Con Creek. (This creek was written as “Cohn” Creek on early deeds.) He built one of the first apple driers in the valley. Getting dried apples to market in Petaluma (later in Cloverdale) was easier than transporting the fresh fruit, and later settlers followed this practice.

Mr. Ball was a prominent man in the community, and greatly respected. He and his wife Melissa raised a fine family. His wife passed away on March 16, 1892, and his own death came on May 6, 1900. They are buried in the Con Creek Cemetery, adjoining their home place.

In writing the above sketch of Mr. Jefferson Davis Ball, an interesting part of his life may have been omitted, because of a lack of final proof. The statements of two responsible and credible descendants are enough to instigate research into passenger lists of ships surviving the rigors of a trip around Cape Horn in 1848 or 1849. This chapter, if substantiated, would have had to relate to events before 1852, when Mr. Ball crossed the plains and settled in Anderson Valley.

Mrs. Emily (Ball) Miller was the youngest child of Mr. J.D. Ball. During a visit to her in Ukiah several years before her death, Zola Willis and I found her still alert, interesting and full of humor. She and Mrs. Willis had known each other from childhood and of course we talked of the early days in this valley. In speaking of her father, she said, “I’ve heard him say many times, ‘I rounded the Hom twice,’ and he could have told us so much.”

I still have a letter written to me by Mrs. Edyth (Kendall) Dinwiddie of Petaluma when she was about 80 years of age. She said that she had always understood that her grandfather, Young I. Kendall, and J.D. Ball were together in Anderson Valley about 1849. After a few months here they returned to the East, her grandfather to Vermont and Mr. Ball to New York. If they came and retumed by ship, this would account for Mr. Ball’s statement that he rounded the Horn twice. Later Mr. Kendall retumed to our valley with his young son, Alonzo Kendall, and daughter Melissa, who became Mrs. J.D. Ball.