Danford Balch
Danford Balch | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 29, 1811 Colrain, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | October 17, 1859 Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Settler, farmer |
| Known for | Murdering his son-in-law, Mortimer Stump |
| Spouse | Mary Jane Balch |
| Children | Anna Balch Stump and eight others |
Danford Balch (November 29, 1811 – October 17, 1859) was a mid-19th-century settler in what later became the Willamette Heights neighborhood of Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon.[1] He was born on November 29, 1811, in Colrain, Massachusetts,[2][3] but spent his early years in Onondaga County, New York.[4] In 1850, Balch moved west to Portland, and settled on a donation land claim of about 346 acres (140 ha) with his wife, Mary Jane, and nine children.[2][3] A commemorative stone at Northwest 30th Avenue and Upshur Street marks the spot of the Balch homesite.[5] A family named Stump, with whom the Balches quarreled, settled a nearby claim.[6]
Nine years later, Balch was convicted of murdering Mortimer Stump, who had eloped with and married Balch's oldest child, Anna, against her father's wishes.[2][3] In front of witnesses, Balch killed Stump with a shotgun as Mortimer, Anna, and Anna's parents boarded the Stark Street Ferry to cross the Willamette River.[5] While awaiting trial, Balch escaped to a hideout in the woods near his farm. Apprehended by James Lappeus, the city marshal, Balch was tried and convicted in August and hanged before a crowd of several hundred onlookers on October 17, 1859.[5] The hanging was the first legal one in the city.[3]
According to a news article citing Metsker's Atlas of Multnomah County, the Balch property ran from "Vaughn Street near then-named St. Helens Boulevard in the northwest corner, south of Cornell Road in the southwest corner, and directly east downhill to the vicinity of 22nd Avenue."[3] Balch's land included what later became MacCleay Park (now part of Forest Park), through which runs Balch Creek.[7] Later United States Senator, and scandal plagued attorney, John H. Mitchell served as trustee of Balch's property and benefited financially from this role.
References
- ^ McArthur, Lewis A.; Lewis L. McArthur (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. pp. 46–47. ISBN 0-87595-277-1.
- ^ a b c Miller, Edward M. (February 8, 1928). "When Danford Balch Was Hanged". The Morning Oregonian. p. 11. Retrieved May 31, 2015 – via NewsBank.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|subscription=ignored (|url-access=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e Swing, William (October 15, 1961). "Willamette Heights Pioneer Was Hanged as Murderer". The Sunday Oregonian. p. 43. Retrieved May 31, 2015 – via NewsBank.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|subscription=ignored (|url-access=suggested) (help) - ^ http://www.centralportland.com/danford-balch-northwest-portland-country-boy-2011-08-16
- ^ a b c Lansing, Jewel. Portland: People, Politics, and Power, 1851–2001. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. pp. 95–96. ISBN 0-87071-559-3.
- ^ Parks and Recreation Department. "MacCleay Park". City of Portland. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
- ^ Houck, Michael C.; Cody, M. J., eds. (2000). Wild in the City: A Guide to Portland's Natural Areas. Portland: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 117. ISBN 0-87595-273-9.