▁his ▁efforts ▁working ▁with ▁his ▁poor ▁coun tr ymen . ▁Unfortunately , ▁the ▁early ▁Bal do on ▁sett lers ▁faced ▁a ▁ple th ora ▁of ▁difficulties : ▁mal aria , ▁har sh ▁winter s , ▁mar sh land , ▁lack ▁of ▁food , ▁and ▁American ▁inv aders ▁during ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 s ▁the ▁settlement ▁was ▁de emed ▁a ▁failure ▁by ▁Lord ▁Sel k irk ▁and ▁other ▁interested ▁parties . ▁The ▁Bal do on ▁sett lers , ▁however , ▁did ▁not ▁give ▁up ; ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁success ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Wal lace burg . ▁ ▁The ▁Bal do on ▁mystery ▁ ▁The ▁Bal do on ▁Myst ery ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁Ontario ' s ▁greatest ▁ha un ting ▁stories , ▁handed ▁down ▁by ▁word ▁of ▁mouth . ▁The ▁strange ▁events ▁of ▁this ▁case ▁are ▁alleg ed ▁to ▁have ▁occurred ▁between ▁ 1 8 2 9 ▁and ▁ 1 8 4 0 , ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁kilom eters ▁of ▁Wal lace burg , ▁Ontario . ▁ ▁Indust rial ▁history ▁The ▁town ' s ▁first ▁major ▁industry ▁was ▁the ▁l umber ▁trade . ▁It ▁was ▁highly ▁successful ▁during ▁the ▁mid - ▁to ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁The ▁most ▁notable ▁business ▁that ▁developed ▁during ▁this ▁era ▁was ▁the ▁Wal lace burg ▁Cooper age ▁Company . ▁It ▁was ▁opened ▁by ▁David ▁Alexander ▁Gordon ▁and ▁his ▁uncle ▁Captain ▁James ▁Stein hoff ▁in ▁ 1 8 8