Indiana Historical Society - Manuscripts and Archives Department

BERTHA ESTHER BALLARD HOME ASSOCIATION
1889-1975

Collection #'s
M 0329
BV 1846-1855

Table of Contents

Collection Information
Historical Sketch
Scope and Content Note
Box and Folder Listing
Cataloging Information

Processed by:
Constance McBirney
February 1980
Reprocessed by:
Karen Larson
August 1994

COLLECTION INFORMATION

VOLUME OF COLLECTION:

4 manuscript boxes, 10 bound volumes, and 3 portraits

COLLECTION DATES:

1889-1975

PROVENANCE:

Elizabeth Evans, Indianapolis, Indiana, October 1975 and 27 April 1979.

RESTRICTIONS:

none

REPRODUCTION RIGHTS:

Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained in writing from the Indiana Historical Society.

ALTERNATE FORMATS:

none

OTHER FINDING AIDS:

none

RELATED HOLDINGS:

Indiana Historical Society Library holdings include a large number of Quaker records.

ACCESSION NUMBERS:

1975.1012, 1979.0409

NOTES:

none

 

HISTORICAL SKETCH

The Bertha Ballard Home was a non-sectarian boarding house for girls located in Indianapolis. It was founded in 1890 by the Women Friends of the Western Yearly Meeting of Friends Church for the purpose of providing a residence offering both physical and spiritual comfort to young women who were alone and forced to earn a living. The home was originally called the Friends' Boarding Home for Girls and was located at 339 East Market Steet. In 1900, William Hadley Ballard (1852-1934) proposed to the organization that in exchange for incorporating under the name Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association, he would donate land and a suitable building. William Ballard was the founder and president of the Ballard Ice Cream Company and a member of the Society of Friends Church. His only child, Bertha Ester Ballard died in 1899, at the age of ten, and he wanted to create a lasting memorial. With William Ballard's gift, the home moved to 411 North Delaware, where it successfully operated unitl it closed in October of 1975.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The collection consists mainly of minutes of the annual and monthly meetings of the Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association Board of Directors, 1900-1973, not including 1959; and the minutes of the board meetings of the Friends' Boarding Home for Girls, 1890-1895. Also included in the collection are the financial records of the organization for various years from 1900-1975; miscellaneous letters; legal documents; clippings; and photocopies, including a photocopy of William Ballard's will and the Articles of Incorporation for the Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. The collection also contains photographs, paintings, and the organization's seal.

BOX AND FOLDER LISTING

BOX 1: Miscellaneous Papers; Treasurers Reports 1961-1964; Financial Statements 1967-1975; Minutes of Board Meetings 1928-1935

FOLDER

CONTENTS

1-2

Letters, legal documents, printed articles and financial papers, 1900-1939, including letters from William Ballard concerning his donation.

3

Clippings and xeroxes, including William Ballard's will and the Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association's Articles of Incorporation.

4

Treasurer's monthly and annual reports, 1961-1962.

5

Treasurer's monthly and annual reports, 1963.

6

Treasurer's monthly and annual reports, 1964.

7

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Financial statements, 1967-1969.

8

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Financial statements, 1970-1972

9

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Financial statements, 1973-1975.

10-17

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Minutes of Board Meetings, 1928-1935.

 

BOX 2: Minutes of Board Meetings, 1936-1948

FOLDER

CONTENTS

1-13

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Minutes of Board Meetings, 1936-1948.

 

BOX 3: Minutes of Board Meetings, 1949-1958, 1960-1969

FOLDER

CONTENTS

1-8

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Minutes of Board Meetings, 1949-1958.

9-18

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Minutes of Board Meetings, 1960-1969.

 

BOX 4: Minutes of Board Meetings 1970-1973; Photographs, Paintings; Seal

FOLDER

CONTENTS

1-4

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Minutes of Board Meetings, 1970-1973.

5

(VC) Photographs: 2 black and white mounted portraits of an unidentified male (possibly William H. Ballard); 1 black and white photograph of the Bertha Ballard Home; 1 black and white photograph of painting #23, Bertha E. Ballard; 1 postcard of the Bertha Ballard Home; 3 portraits: 1 (67"X49") (painting #23) of Bertha Esther Ballard; 2 portraits, 1 each of Mr. and Mrs. William Hadley Ballard (missing 8-5-94)

6

(ART) Organization Seal, black metal, hand pressed with a lion head design.

 

BOUND VOLUMES:
VOLUME

NUMBER

CONTENTS

BV 1846

Friends' Boarding Home for Girls. Minutes of Board Meetings, August 1890-December 1891.

BV 1847

Friends' Boarding Home for Girls. Minutes of Board Meetings, January 1892-July 1895.

BV 1848

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Minutes of Board Meetings, April 1900-September 1910.

BV 1849

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Minutes of Board Meetings, annual meetings only, April 1902 September 1910.

BV 1850

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Minutes of Board Meetings, September 1908-December 1916.

BV 1851

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Minutes of Board Meetings, January 1917-December 1927.

BV 1852

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Financial Records, September 1900-December 1920.

BV 1853

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Ledger, Daily cash accounts, January 1932-July 1943.

BV 1854

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association. Ledger, Accounts payable, July 1934-December 1944.

BV 1855

Bertha Esther Ballard Home Association Financial Records, January 1951-July 1952.

CATALOGING INFORMATION

For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:

  1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog
  2. Click on the "Local Catalog" icon.
  3. Search for the collection by its call number, using the letter or letters designation and four digits (e.g., M 0715, SC 2234).
  4. When you find the collection, go to the "Holdings" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.

END