William Pitt Ballinger (September 25, 1825 – January 20, 1888) was an American lawyer and statesman in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. He had a significant impact on the development of Texas realty and railroad law. He originally supported the

Confederacy A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. Following the war, he was instrumental in the reconstruction in Texas, the emancipation of black slaves, and the industrial development of the South.

Early life

Ballinger was born in

Barbourville, Kentucky Barbourville is a home rule-class city in Knox County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 3,165 at the 2010 census, down from 3,589 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city was formally established b ...

on September 25, 1825. He was the eldest child of James Franklin Ballinger and Olivia Adams, who named him for William Pitt. His mother died after giving birth to two daughters and another son, all of whom were raised by James. Ballinger's early education was informal. It included homeschooling by his father, attending presentations at the county courthouse, and reading books from his father's classical library. In 1840, Ballinger was invited to attend a recently opened Jesuit school in

Bardstown, Kentucky Bardstown is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 13,567 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the list of counties in Kentucky, county seat of Nelson Count ...

, St. Mary's Catholic College.

Career

Law

Ballinger left his native state for

Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

in 1843 in an attempt to improve his health. After his arrival, he studied law under James Love.

Politics

Like the Governor of Texas,

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...

, Ballinger was pro-Union and opposed secession, but the Unionists were outvoted in a statewide referendum by a margin of 46,129 to 14,697. Yet he was also an adversary to the Republican Party and offered his full support to the Confederacy after secession.

Personal life

Ballinger married Hallie P. Jack in 1850. They had two sons, and three daughters, including Betty Ballinger.

Death and legacy

Ballinger died in Galveston on January 20, 1888. The town of

Ballinger, Texas Ballinger ( ) is a city in Runnels County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,619 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Runnels County. Downtown Ballinger features historic 1800s buildings with shops and restaurants. History Ba ...

was officially named in his honor.

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ballinger, William Pitt Texas lawyers Lawyers from Galveston, Texas 1825 births 1888 deaths People from Barbourville, Kentucky American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law 19th-century American lawyers