This summons for Nancy Ballard was issued on October 12, 1860 by the Third District Court of the Kansas Territory. The charge against Ballard is not explicitly stated on the summons, but when compared with other summons issued at this time, the charge is most likely for settling on lands that belonged to a Native American tribe. The summons was served successfully on October 20, 1860. When Kansas became a territory in 1854, the flood of settlers led to encroachment on lands promised to Native American tribes that had been forcibly relocated to the area.