NameCapt. William Henry Ellis
Birth6 Jun 1818, Fair Haven, Rutland, Vermont.
Death27 May 1893, Greenfield, Greene, Illinois, @@ age 74 yrs 11 mos 21 days.
Burial27 May 1893, Oakwood North Cemetery, Rubikon Twp., Illinois.
FatherBarnabas Ellis (1785-1860)
MotherBelinda Kidder (1787-1855)
Misc. Notes
Sources & Information:
Item 1.Individual Record <http://www.familysearch.org>. Date of birth and parents names.
Nothing shown as to marriage.

Item 2.Thanks to Robert Ellis Dunn, PO Box 1377, Granite Falls, WA 98252 and his e-mail
received December 5, 2003 is found a great rendition of the William Henry Ellis
family and its immediate members. We have quoted from this information as shown
below and in other sections of this particular Ellis line.

"The 1850 Federal Census for Greene County, Illinois lists William H. Ellis, age 32,
his wife Mariah, age 23, born in Illinois along with their child Julia, age 2, and two
other young men: Thomas Patterson, age 16, farmer from Illinois and Joseph Young,
age 23 from Vermont. Living next door is his brother Hiram B. Ellis, age 34, with his
wife Olivia, age 26, a 2 year old daughter, Selina, and a young man from Ireland -
Thomas Howard, age 30."

"On the 1860 Census, William H. Ellis, family has grown, adding Arthur, age 9, Amy
age 6, and Flora, age 3. Also in the household are three other adults: Gerilda
Defening, age 21 from Illinois; Thomas Bagnal, age 35 and James Carthy, age 25,
both from Ireland."

"June 2, 1893, the following appeared in the Whitehall Register, Illinois:"
"Died after a short illness, Capt. W. H. Ellis, living five miles northeast of this place,
Saturday noon, May 27, aged 75. He was a man of wide influence and had obtained
quite a large fortune, which will be divided among his children. The funeral took place
Monday afternoon and was under strict management of the Masonic Lodge of this
place." (obituary on microfilm, Historical Society, Carrollton, IL. The funeral was held
for William H. Ellis at the residence on Monday afternoon. Rev. Dugan preached the
service and the burial was conducted by the Masonic Lodge of which he was a member."

"In 1836, at the age of 18, William H. Ellis, cradled on the homestead farm in Vermont,
twelve acres of rye in two days. It was said to be the best cradling ever done in the
town."

"In 1838, William also found his way to Illinois, accepting teaching jobs in White Hall
one year and Franklin, Illinois, the next. It is said that he pleased his pupils, his
employers, and himself. In 1839 he drove cattle during the Spring and Summer, taking
them north to Chicago for sale. It is said that Chicago only had five or six brick buildings.
In the fall of 1839 he returned to teaching in Wilmington. This was the year of the
campaign of Harrison and Tyler, a very exciting time. William was a Wig, however he
got along well with the community that was nearly all Democrat."

"The day that school closed he went to White Hall, and the next morning started for
St. Louis with horses. He transported the horses by steamboat from St. Louis, MO., to
New Orleans, some fifty head and each trip took ten days. On the return trip they
brought back sugar and molasses. Yellow fever hit St. Louis that summer. Business
stopped until cold weather came and 'Yellow Jack' left. William witnessed many things,
including slave auctions that drew more people than the horse auctions, and a hanging
of four Negroes on June 24th., in St. Louis, MO."

"In 1840, William's brother Hiram encouraged him to enter a homestead for 200 acres
that were available near his land. Hiram had entered land on String Prairie (section 13,
Township 11, Range 10). William entered 200 acres, section 13 and 14, Township 11,
Range 10, and that winter he taught school at the Apple Creek Prairie. In the Spring of
1843, William went to improve his land and boarded with his brother. He broke the land
with yoked teams of three and five oxen and a plow that cut 22 inches deep. He planted
wheat. The winter of 1843 he taught school in Gregory District. It was about this time
that he met Mariah Woolley, whom he intended to marry if true love would run smooth.
(A.G. Coonrod, Honor Role Sketch] . In the spring of 1844 he planted corn and broke more
prairie. This year was referred to as a wet spring with high waters. He Cradled 40 acres
of wheat and 20 acres of oats. Brother Hiram bound it and they shocked it."

"In 1849, William Ellis entered local politics, and was elected Greene County Surveyor.
He was re-elected to this position in 1851. Congress had ordered swamp land to be
designated in each state so that it could be given to the counties. William reported over
25,000 acres of swamp land for Greene County, that was later given to the County by an
act of the Legislature. It is said that he knew Abraham Lincoln, and during the Lincoln
and Douglas Debates he strongly agreed with the Anti-slavery position. He may have
attended some of the debates in Illinois. The debates drew national attention and they
were attended by thousands of people. 1860 found the states divided over the issue of
slavery."

"Governor French commissioned William H. Ellis as Captain in the 18th Illinois
Regiment Militia, from Illinois. This was a local Militia, and W. H. was able to remain in
Greenfield where he continued to expand his farm and to participate in other business
and community activities. Augustus Chaplin French was Governor, Dec. 9, 1846."

"In later years William served as Trustee of the Central Hospital at Jacksonville, and
was elected a director of the Rock Island Alton and St. Louis Railroad. When that
Railroad transferred to the Rockford, Rock Island and St. Louis R. R. Company, he was
chosen to serve with the President of the company and two other members to make the
arrangements. The first windmill for pumping water in Greene County was on the Ellis
farm, and the first hedge fence in the state of Illinois was there also. He was a member
of the Masonic Order, of which his Father was Grand Junior Warden."

"Over the years several families became related to each other in Greenfield area, and
they purchased land that was either connected or near each other. Platt maps in the late
1800's and early 1900's, show this land under the names of Hiram Ellis, W. H. Ellis,
Ed Belknap, Uriah Converse, O. H. Converse, J. A. Metcalf, Elsie Haven, Wilhite, and in
1895, Julia Ellis Dunn."

Item 3.William Henry Ellis is a 5th Cousin 3 times removed from Edward Dale Ellis.
Spouses
Birth29 Mar 1826, Bluffdale, Greene, Illinois
Death2 Aug 1888, Greenville, Bond, Illinois, @@ age 62 yrs 4 mos 3 days.
Marriage6 Nov 1844, prob. Greene Co., Illinois.
ChildrenEda B. (1847-1847)
 Julia E. (1848-1920)
 Arthur Chase (1850-1915)
 Amy Maria (1854-)
 Flora Luella (1857-)
 Edwin W. (1859-1860)
Last Modified NewCreated 14 Jul 2013