Nelson Blalock migrated from NC to Mt. Zion, Macon, IL in the early 1860s. He served as a surgeon in the 115th Regiment of the Illinois Infantry Volunteers during the Civil War. In 1873, Dr. Blalock with his family led a wagon train from Illinois across the plains to Walla Walla, Walla Walla, WA. His widowed brother-in-law, Samuel Cox and his children and several friends and neigbors from the Mt. Zion area accompanied him. Dr. Blalock practiced medicine and was a farmer on a large scale in Walla Walla. Nelson Gales Blalock was regarded as one of the leading citizens of the State of Washington. He was one of the signers of the petition to grant Washington Territory statehood. The Blalock Orchards near his home are named for him, as is Blalock Island in the Columbia River. Dr. Nelson Gales Blalock died of a stroke.

Source: Lloyd Bailey, "Heritage of the Toe River Valley, Vol. II" pgs. 185-186, MO: Walsworth Publishing, 1997

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Dr. Nelson Blalock helped give life to much of early Walla Walla after arriving in Walla Walla in 1872. He delivered more than 6,000 babies during his tenure as a physician.

Delivering 6,000 babies is quite an accomplishment in and of itself, but that’s not all! Blalock was an orchardist, wheat farmer, and community leader. In addition he built a lumber mill and 28-mile-long log flume from the Blue Mountains down the Walla Walla River to Walla Walla, installed the first telephones in the state, developed artesian wells which became the Blalock Irrigation District, donated the land on which Walla Walla College was built, served as a trustee of Whitman College for many years, established a ten thousand acre wheat ranch and fruit orchards, and served as mayor of Walla Walla, all while actively practicing medicine.

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Walla Walla Union Bulletin (Walla Walla, Washington) > 1946 > February > 24

Blalck Wanted Action

Mayor Nelson G Blalck, pioneer physician here at the council meeting Septem 16 1889, insisted on a sewer system. ...

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Walla Walla Union Bulletin (Walla Walla, Washington) > 1946 > April > 10

College Place -- Uniformity in the name of Blalck-Palm Street was discussed at Monday night's meeting of the city council. The city fathers went on record as wholeheartedly in favor of changing the Palm stree sidde to Blalck in honor of Dr. Nelson G Blalock who was tagged by the directors as "a real promoter in this country".

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Lyman's History of Old Walla Walla County - 1918

Page 701

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DR. N.G. BLALOCK. - Americans in general and those of the West in particular have no equals in the world in versatility. No other people can do so many different things and do them so well as we. No other people so disregard the conventional and regular ways of doing things, and go across lots to conclusions and results so promptly. On our Western border is this especially manifest. Face to face with nature in some of her most remarkable and powerful manifestations, with all things new and untried, we burgeon out our powers untrammeled by custom or artificial restraints. Thus has come the fact that many men here, educated, as lawyers, teachers, physicians, and preachers, so readily turn their attention to other occupations, and carry on a wide range of effort. No better example can be found in the Northwest than in the subject of this sketch.

Doctor Blalock was born in North Carolina on the 17th of February, 1836. After a boyhood of activity and industry, he devoted himself for some time to teaching; but, deciding that the practice of medicine should be his goal, he entered Jefferson Medical College in 1859, and graduated two years later. He had already been married to Miss Panthea A. Durham in 1858. Soon after graduating from the medical college, Doctor Blalock, with his wife and two children, moved to Mount Zion, Macon county, Illinois. The tempest of the Civil war just now was breaking on the country, and Doctor Blalock, with a broader patriotism than most of his misguided brethren of the South, joined the armies of the Nation as surgeon. He was attached to the One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Infantry. With them he exercised the same skill and devotion which have been such prominent traits in his character since; but failing health compelled him to leave the army before the end of the war. In 1862 he

lost his elder child, and on May 18,1864, he suffered the irreparable loss of his faithful wife. He now resumed the interrupted practice of his profession at Mount Zion, Illinois, and there, in December, 1865, was married to Miss Marie E. Greenfield. During the busy years which followed, the Doctor, like many others, became interested in the reports of the wonderful results of farming, and other enterprises in the valley of the Upper Columbia. In 1872, he set forth to cross the plains in company with thirty other men of Macon county and their families. Though "dead broke" on his arrival at Walla Walla, his industry and fertility of resources soon set him on his feet in both his profession and his outside business. Though considering medical practice his chief calling, he could not help noticing the vast undeveloped resources lying loose around Walla Walla; and he soon, with his peculiar energy, got control of a large body of land in the foothill belt south of the city. His farming enterprises mark an era in the development of the Inland Empire. At that time, though only about sixteen years ago, nobody had tested the plains of the upper country. It was generally supposed that, aside from the narrow valleys in the near vicinity of the streams, the upper country was a desert.

The Doctor bargained for twenty-two hundred acres of upland at a price of ten bushels of wheat per acre. Entering into the work with great enthusiasm, and expending all that he had in its cultivation, he was abundantly rewarded for his daring and enterprise by securing a harvest of thirty-one bushels to the acre. Thus a third of his first crop was enough to pay for the land; and at one bold appeal to Fortune, aided, however, by good judgment and industry, he found himself independent. we give in the body of our history some specific statements as tot he Doctor's subsequent experience in farming. Satisfied as to the profits of wheat-raising, he formed the association known as the "Blalock Wheat Growing Company," which secured twenty thousand acres of land in what is now Gilliam county, Oregon. Ten thousand acres of this tract have been in wheat at once, and corn (not usually thought a success in this country) has been raised on a scale and with an excellence which would do credit to Illinois or Kansas.

But the incessant activity of the Doctor in his constantly growing medical practice, and in his wheat business, did not restrain him from still greater efforts; and in 1874 he began the construction of a flume twenty-eight miles long from Walla Walla to the Blue Mountains. This great enterprise was completed in 1880, costing $56,000. The great cost of this flume and the expense of maintaining it, however, so devoured the profits that the Doctor found himself greatly embarrassed and for a time was compelled to restrict his many and valuable enterprises. Unremitting attention to his practice (now far larger than that of any other practitioner in the upper country), together with an enormous yield of wheat (90,000 bushels) on his Walla Walla ranch in 1881, soon repaired his temporary embarrassment; and he retained the position so justly due him, of being one of Walla Walla's "heavy" men.

On Christmas eve, 1885, he was again deprived by the death of his wife, a loss inestimable both to him and the place. Mrs. Blalock was a woman whose beauty and attractiveness were surpassed only by her intelligence and benevolence. She left two daughters, Rose and May. The remaining child of the Doctor's first marriage was Yancey C.; and he has followed his father into the discipleship of Esculapius, and is now rapidly making a name as one of the leading young physicians of Walla Walla. Though his mind has thus been occupied with so many matters outside of his profession, Dr. Blalock considers that his chief claim to recognition among the leading men of the country. He seems to have by nature almost every requisite of the successful physician, - calm judgment, keen perception, quick intuition and untiring patience. Besides his eminence in his profession, he keeps abreast of the times in all other matters pertaining to the development of the city and country. He is one of the trustees of Whitman College, and in all matters relating to the intellectual and social development of Walla Walla is one of the leaders. Well

may the beautiful country of his adoption be proud of such a man. We may properly end this sketch by saying that, at the very day of writing it, Doctor Blalock has been further honored by being elected one of the delegates from the Walla Walla district to the convention which is charged with the momentous duty of framing a constitution for the coming great State of Washington.

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History of Pacific Northwest - Oregon and Washington

Volume II

Page 215, 216

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DR. N.G. BLALOCK. - In all animate life, there are grades of intelligence so plainly marked that the difference is evident at a glance. Between men this gradation is so distinguishable and universal that attention has only to be called to the fact, to secure its unquestioned recognition. Among the Australian bushmen, or in the court circle of Kings, the genius of a few men lead, while the many follow. These are but truisms, facts old as the human family, still, it is not out of place to call attention to them, and the additional truth that it is not unfrequent for many, who follow some distance in the rear, to forget, when the smoke of battle has passed, that they were not in the van. Nature designs some men for active service, and for such to fall short of becoming an important element, in the progressive operations of whatever sphere circumstances places them, would be something they could not do. It would be impossible for comprehensive minds to dwell upon that which failed to possess the charm of intricacy or magnitude, something beyond the ordinary; and those possessing such faculties move off in the advance, plan and execute, where others hesitate, and fail to act. Every community has within it characters of this kind, more or less marked, who are termed the leading men or minds. East of the Cascades there are two of this class, who stand so far in the van of progress, that their names have but to be mentioned, to elicit a universal approval of the assertion from all, except their personal enemies, or the envious whose opinions are of little value. We refer, first, to Dr. D.S. Baker, second to Dr. N.G. Blalock both residents of Walla Walla City. For evidence of the truthfulness of this assertion, we refer the reader in Dr. Baker's case, to his biography and the history of railroads and transportation in this book. Of Dr. Blalock, the reader has but to learn what his operations in the country have been, to cheerfully accord him the mead of approval. He has not derived as much personal benefit from the result of his labors, as the people of the country have, and his business efforts are all of a nature calculated to inure to the public advantage more than to his private advancement.

Dr. Blalock was born in Western North Carolina, February 17, 1836, was educated in the common schools of his native state, spent one year at college in Tennessee, and then entered the Jefferson Medical College, in1859, from where he graduated in1861. He was a married man when he first entered the Jefferson Medical College, and started upon his course in that institution with less than money enough to pay his way. His wife, formerly, Miss Pantha A. Durham of High Shoals, North Carolina, whom he had married, August 1, 1858, was a lady of rare qualities and attainments, one who was a helpmate in the hour of his trials. Together they labored, together they economized, together they studied, and with equal hopes and pleasures, they saw the day come when he could start from the student's cloister out into the world, and strive for success. After their fare had been paid on the cars that were to take them to the new scene of labor in Illinois, the Doctor had not money enough left to buy meals on the road, and thus he started in his profession as a Doctor. It is only men with nerve and courage and brain and will who win in life's struggle. The Doctor practiced in the line of his profession until 1862, in Mt. Zion, Macon Co., Illinois, when he became Regimental Surgeon of the 115th Illinois Infantry Volunteers, but was forced to abandon the service in 1863, because of ill health. In 1864, May 18, his wife died, leaving two children of whom only one, Yancy C. is now living.

December 10, 1865, Mis Marie E. Greenfield was married to the Doctor in Mt. Zion, Illinois, and in May 1873 he left that state with teams for Walla Walla valley, where he arrived in October, without a dollar of money at his command. He at once started his teams to hauling freight, and entered upon his professional practice, and devoted every surplus dollar he could get to the purchasing and improvement of cheap lands along the Blue mountain base, until he has converted over 5,000 acres from its primitive sod into cultivated farms.

In 1881, he harvested 90,000 bushels of wheat and barley, one thousand acres of his land producing the unprecedented yield of fifty bushels of wheat to the acre, and all this upon land deemed worthless for such purposes until tested by him. A sketch of that farm accompanies this work. In 1874 he commenced the construction of a flume, purposed to convey wood and lumber from the mountains into the Walla Walla valley at rates that would enable farmers to improve their land, and in 1880, twenty-eight miles of it had been completed at a cost of $56,000. During the latter year, $160,000 were disbursed by him, in the construction of this flume, building of mills, getting out timber, operating the flume, etc. nearly all of which was paid for labor, and he lost $75,000 in the operation; but the whole country was materially benefitted, and cheap transportation from the mountains has been established as a fixture. This loss caused a temporary suspension of operations, that has since been resumed by the "Blalock Wheat Growing Company" of which the Doctor is President. This company was organized for the purpose that its name indicates to operate a 20,000 acre farm between the John Day and Columbia rivers, in Wasco Co., Oregon. The Doctor's efforts in the John Day country are demonstrating what his operations did at the base of the Blue mountains, that thousands of land acres, heretofore considered comparatively worthless, are agricultural mines of wealth.

We have only mentioned, in this brief way, the more important transactions of this man in the country, that readers might know that we have not improperly denominated him, as one of those whom nature created to lead among his fellows, to operate in the advance, break down barriers to progress, open new fields of thought, explore and guide the timid to hitherto unknown regions for enterprise, to point out new avenues to wealth, and become a public benefactor by so doing.

He still continues the practice of his profession, and was appointed surgeon for the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company in February, 1882.

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1860 Census NC Yancey Pg 455

Blalock,Nelson G.,head,24,Physician,NC

Panthe A.,24,NC

Yancy C.,1,NC

Living next door:

Blalock,Jesse,45,farmer,NC

Uere,42,TN

Polly M.,13,NC

James L.,4,NC

Jacob Lipps,73,farmer,NC

Cecelia Smith,18,servant,NC

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1870 Census IL Macon Mt Zion PG 563

Black,Nelson,head,34,Physician,NC

Mariah,22,Keeping house,OH

Yancy,11,NC

Plato,9,IL

Lidia,1,IL

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1880 Census WA Walla Walla Walla Walla Pg 181B (8 June 1880 CH Armstrong)

Nelson G. BLALOCK Self M Male W 44 NC Physecian Surg. NC NC

Marie E. BLALOCK Wife M Female W 33 OH Keep. House OH VA

Yancy C. BLALOCK -- S Male W 20 NC Farmer NC NC

May BLALOCK -- S Female W 8 IL Att. School NC OH

Rose BLALOCK -- S Female W 6 WA Att. School NC WA

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Name: NELSON G. BLALOCK

State: WA

County: Walla Walla County

Township: Walla Walla

Year: 1890

Page: 003

Database: WA 1890 Veterans Schedule

115 ILL Vol Sept 13 1862 to July 27, 1863 1 yr 3 mos PO Address Walla Walla WA

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1900 Census WA Walla Walla Walla Walla Wd 3 ED 89 Pg 6A

Foret,Albert,head,Sept 1874,25S,IL,IL,IL,Clerk,Dry goods

Blalock,N.G.,lodger,Feb 1836,64,wd,NC,NC,NC,Physician

Corpening,J.M.,lodger,Apr 1869,30S,NC,NC,NC,Merchant

Eastman,T.R.,lodger,May 1849,51S,NH,NH,VT,Physician

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1910 Census WA Walla Walla Walla Walla Wd 1 ED 245 Pg 74B

Blalock,Nelson G.,head,74,wd,5,3,NC,NC,NC,Physician

May F.,daughter,38S,IL,NC,OH.Housekeeping

Mauzey,Thomas G.,lodger,61,m22,NY,CT,CT,Physician

Mauzey,Minerva,54,m22,IN,VA,IN

Byrd,Virginia,lodger,31S,CA,NY,IL,Teacher,Public school

(I can't read surname),Cassandra,31S,WA,Turkey,NY,Teacher,Public school

Burial: MT View Cemetery, Walla Walla,WA⁴

Census 1: 1850, NC Yancey Pg 423A(See Father)

Census 2: 1860, NC Yancey Pg 455

Census 3: 1870, IL Macon Mt Zion PG 563

Census 4: 1880, WA Walla Walla Walla Walla Pg 181B

Census 5: 1890, Veterans Schedule WA Walla Walla

Census 6: 1900, WA Walla Walla Walla Walla Wd 3 ED 89 Pg 6A

Census 7: 1910, WA Walla Walla Walla Walla Wd 1 ED 245 Pg 74B

Education: Mar 1861, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA

Emigration: 1873, to Oregon

Pioneer Step: #45 pd by Phoebe Blalock

Census: 1860, NC Yancey Pg 455(See Husband)

Medical Information: Died 2 days after giving birth to Octavia

http://rfci.net/wdfloyd/ruthmb1.html

The marriage bonds of Rutherford Co., NC

Blalock, Nelson G. /// Durham, PA Jul 31, 1858 SC Vance JH Carpenter

Marriage: 01 Aug 1858, Rutherford, Burke, North Carolina

Burial: MT View Cemetery, Walla Walla,WA⁵

Census: 1870, IL Macon Mt Zion PG 563(See Husband)

Marriage: 10 Dec 1865, Macon, Illinois⁶