Today, many people think nothing of a family member moving across the country for a new job or other opportunity. But, family members moving off on their own is nothing new to this country. This article discusses some of the moves made by members of my Ellis family line.
Roger Ellis
Roger Ellis
Roger is my 4th great grandfather. He first shows up in the tax records in Franklin County, Kentucky in 1801. He would not yet have been 21 years of age. Then he married in 1805 in nearby Shelby County. Various Ellis families lived in the area, but none have been connected to Roger. The census and other records state that Roger was born in Pennsylvania. So, what brought him to Kentucky and who traveled with him is unknown. However, we do know that he didn’t stay long as a few years later he secured land in Ripley County, Indiana, which had just opened up for settlement.
His Children
Part of Roger’s children were born in Shelby County, Kentucky and the remainder in Ripley County, Indiana. His oldest son James and his family also got the adventurous spirit. Sometime between 1850 and 1857, they moved to Fillmore County, Minnesota. According to his son’s biographical sketch, they stopped for a couple of years in Iowa prior to making the move to Minnesota.
It is assumed that they moved to be able to acquire more or better land as Minnesota started opening up for settlement in the early 1850s. With that perspective, it was a very good move. James’ land in 1850 in Indiana was valued at $400. By 1870, his land in Minnesota was valued at $3500.
Roger’s youngest son also set his sights on Minnesota. He headed northwest sometime between 1864 and 1867. He initially settled in the same county as James. However, sometime between 1870 and 1880, he moved further northwest to Otter Tail County.
Rebecca is the only daughter to move away from Ripley County, Indiana and the surrounding counties. It wasn’t until 1875 that she married Ruel O’Neel. Ruel’s wife had died the year prior. It is unclear how Rebecca came to move to Iowa and be married to Ruel, but they likely knew each other from their younger days as he lived in Ripley County until the mid-1850s.
The other 7 of Roger’s children either lived in Ripley County or an adjacent county.
David’s Children
My direct line is through David Ellis. As far as we know, he lived all his adult life in Ripley County. What is unknown is what happened to him. All that is known is that he was with the family in 1860, but not with them in 1870. Some people say that he died in the Civil War as there was a David Ellis that died during while serving. It is unclear, however, if that is the same David Ellis.
In any case, David’s wife (Lucy Ann Storms Ellis) and his children all left Indiana during the 1860s. This very well may be due to the Civil War. All of them, with the exception of Henry, ended up in Kansas after a brief period in Illinois.
In this generation, Henry was the one that moved away from the rest of the family. He stayed in the Illinois/Indiana area for a period of time and then he moved to South Dakota, many miles away from the rest of the family. Again, it is assumed that he moved there for the land as the 1880s were brought significant movement to South Dakota.
The Next Generation
David and Lucy’s son Joseph Lewis Ellis is my 2nd great grandfather. His kids spread out across the state of Kansas mostly in the southern half, but spanning a large portion of the state from east to west. Again, there was an exception.
The youngest, Samuel, moved to Oklahoma. He made his move within a decade of Oklahoma becoming a state, but long after the Oklahoma Land Rush. The reason for his move does not seem to be motivated by the acquisition of land as he was a mechanic. Perhaps southeast Kansas had too many mechanics or his marriage to a much older woman was an issue. No evidence likely exists to create a good working theory for this move.
Great Grandma Rosa
The Ellis line ends with my great grandma Rosa. She moved with the family to Kansas and then from Neosho County to Crawford County. Her children continued the pattern of at least one family member moving away from where their parents lived. And, the pattern continues today.