Christopher K. Ellis
Christopher K. Ellis, proprietor of a farm on rural mail route No. 3, out of Jamestown, where he has made his home for the past twenty-eight years, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Jefferson township, or rather in that portion of Caesarscreek township that in the summer of 1858 came to be set off as Jefferson township, December 24, 1856, son of Silas and Mary B. (Kinsey) Ellis, both of whom were members of pioneer families hereabout.
The Ellis family has been represented in Greene county since the year 1807, when Christopher Ellis, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came here with his family from Frederick county, Virginia, and settled in the southern part of the county, a mile north of Port William. Christopher Ellis was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, of Dutch stock, January 11, 1763. He married Eliza Caney, who was born on September 5, 1769, and made his home in Frederick county, Virginia, until he came to this county in 1807. He traded a horse for fifty acres of land north of Port William and thus got a start upon which he improved until at the time of his death in 1836 he was the owner of sixteen hundred acres of land in that region. His wife had preceded him to the grave about twelve years, her death having occurred on September 5, 1822, and he later married Nancy Overly. To this latter union four children were born, Martha, Tilden, Angeline and Daniel. By his marriage to Eliza Caney, Christopher Ellis was the father of twelve children, Jacob, Abraham, Isaac, John, Samuel, William, George, James, Mary, Joseph, Christopher and Elizabeth.
Samuel Ellis, sixth son of Christopher and Eliza (Caney) Ellis, grew up on the home place north of Port William and there spent all his life, having established his home there after his marriage to Elizabeth Oglesbee. who was bom in this county, a member of one of the pioneer families. Samuel Ellis died at his home in the southern part of the county on December 11, 1880, he then being eighty years, two months and seven davs of age. Samuel Ellis was thrice married. By his union with Elizabeth Oglesbee he was the father of six children, namely: Preston, who became a merchant and millman at Bell Center and there lived to be eighty years of age; Polly Ann, who married John Early; Silas, father of the subject of this sketch; Joseph, Almira, who married Daniel Early, and Isaiah, who made his home in Clinton county. Following the death of the mother of these children, Samuel Ellis married Keziah Woolman, who also was born in this county, and to that union were born seven children, namely: Eli, who went to the front as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War, a member of Company B, Fortieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which command he served for three years, and was killed at one of the later battles at Ringgold, Georgia; Susan, who married James Bone; Sarah Jane, who married John Jenkins; Simon Peter and Samuel Newton, twins, both of whom served as soldiers of the Union during the Civil War, the former a member of Company F, Sixtieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was taken prisoner and for eleven months suffered confinement in Andersonville and Libby prisons, and the latter a member of Company H, One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Ohio; Joshua, now living on a part of the old home place in Jefferson township and who also served as a soldier during the Civil War, a member of the Sixtieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Martha, who died at the age of three years and thirteen days. Following the death of the mother of these children, Samuel Ellis married Mrs. Providence Sewell, which union was without issue.
Silas Ellis grew up on the home farm north of Port William and received his schooling in the neighborhood schools. After his marriage to Mary B. Kinsey, of Port William, he bought a small farm in that neighborhood, but later moved to Clinton county, where his last days were spent. During his active operations he bought and sold a good deal of land and also dealt in horses. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Silas Ellis died on the 3rd day of February, 1896, he then being sixty-eight years, seven months and three days old, and his widow survived him to the age of seventy-seven. They were the parents of seven children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fourth in order of birth, the others being the following: Hiram, now a resident of Concordia, Kansas; Maria, wife of Benjamin Strickle, of Clinton county; one who died in infancy; Ida Ann, wife of Nathan Woolford, of Clinton county; Jonathan, a mechanic, now living in Nebraska, and Silas Andrew, who owns a farm in Warren county and resides there.
Christopher K. Ellis received his schooling in the schools of Spring Valley and Jefferson townships and remained at home until his marriage in 1880, after which he made his home for a while in Clinton county. He then came back to Greene county and located on a farm in Caesarscreek township, where he remained for eight years, or until 1890. when he bought the Daniel Bayliff farm of one hundred acres, the place on which he is now living, in Jefferson township, and has since made his home there. To his original holdings there Mr. Ellis has added by purchase until now he is the owner of three hundred and thirty-two acres and his sons also have farms in that neighborhood. In addition to his general farming Mr. Ellis has given considerable attention to the raising of live stock, making a specialty of Aberdeen-Angus cattle and heavy draft horses. He also is a stockholder and a member of the board of directors of the Wilson Engineering Company at Xenia.
On February 5, 1880, Christopher K. Ellis was united in marriage to Medora Adams, who was born in Caesarscreek township, daughter of Jackson and Eliza (Ary) Adams, the latter of whom was born in that same township. Jackson Adams was born in Virginia in 1827 and was four years of age when he came with his parents, Nimrod and Susan (Linkhart) Adams, to this county in 1831, the family settling in Caesarscreek township. Nimrod Adams and his wife were the parents of six children, of whom Jackson was the first-born, the others being the following: Ella, who married John Borden; Joseph, who established his home on a farm north of Paintersville; Harriet, who married Jonathan Bales; Harry, who died unmarried, and Josephine, who remained a spinster and is still living on a part of the old home place. After his marriage to Eliza Ary. Jackson Adams established his home on a farm in Caesarscreek township and there died in 1891. His widow survived him for twenty years, her death occurring on September 8, 1911. She was a member of the Methodist Protestant church. Jackson Adams and wife were the parents of six children, of whom Mrs. Ellis was the second in order of birth, the others being Luella, who died in the days of her girlhood; James D., who married Flora M. Harness and is farming in Jefferson township; Lydia J., who died in infancy; Hattie, who died in youth, and Sarah, wife of George Babb, of Caesarscreek township.
Mr. and Mrs. Ellis have two sons, Orville J. and Charles S., the former of whom remains at home, assisting his father in the management of the home place. He also owns a farm of his own. Charles S. Ellis also has a farm in Jefferson township, on which he makes his home. He married Iva E. Sheely and has one child, a son, Lawrence Victor, born on April 9, 1914. Mrs. Ellis is a member of the Methodist Protestant church. Mr. Ellis is a Republican, as are his sons, and, fraternally, is affiliated with the Masonic lodge at Jamestown and with the Knights of Pythias lodge at Port William.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918