Benjamin Ball, 1799
Maysville, Kentucky, is in the floodplain on the south bank of the Ohio River. A great cliff rises above the narrow town. Long limestone ridges span throughout Mason County and, seemingly, all of central Kentucky. Some are wooded, some are open pasture; the sides are steep and crumbly. But none are so tall as to dominate the landscape. From atop each ridge, forever spreads out before you.
My ancestor, Benjamin Ball brought his family here in 1799 from Virginia—brought along in a flood of settlers from the east--and they landed several ridge-tops over from Maysville; in Sardis. They farmed—tobacco, maybe. The large black barns that open to air dry the hanging burley still dominate the farms.Read More here: Whig Hill Blog
