History of Martinsville, (Clinton County) Ohio United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Martinsville, (Clinton County) Ohio, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

S. H. Ellis, Worthy Master of the State Grange of Ohio of Patrons of Husbandry, was born near Martinsville, Clinton county, Ohio, January 3d, 1830. His father, Robert Ellis, was born in Tennessee, and at the age of eighteen removed with his father to Ohio, where, in young manhood, he married Susan Lewis, who died in a few months after marriage. Seth's mother's name was Anna Hackett, who, in young womanhood, married James Moon, and from this marriage had one child, a daughter. Soon after the birth of this child her husband died; in course of time Robert Ellis and Anna Moon were united in marriage. Their first child, being a daughter, was named Susan Ellis; and their second, being a son, was named James M. Ellis, thus preserving the name of the husband of one and the wife of the other in the family. This union, which continued more than fifty years and was one of unusual happiness, was terminated by the death of Robert Ellis, in March, 1874, at the age of seventy-nine years and six months. His widow, Anna, is still living. The early education of the subject of this sketch was confined to the usual three-months district school of each winter until he reached his seventeenth year, when he had the privilege of attending for a year in succession the school in Springboro', under the instruction of an excellent instructor, Charles Kimble, who took great interest in his advancement. At the close of this year's schooling he received a certificate from the Examiners of Warren county, Ohio, to teach school, said certificate good for two years. He afterwards obtained a certificate in Montgomery county, on which he taught school six months. In August, 1851, just before commencing the latter school, he was united in marriage to Rebecca J. Tressler, who was born and reared on a farm adjoining the one where they now live, one and one-half miles east of Springboro'. From this union they have five girls and two boys, of whom the eldest daughter, Evangeline, is married to A. M. Somers. Mr. Ellis has been a practical farmer ever since he commenced business for himself, in the spring of 1852. At the organization of Grange No. 6, in Ohio, of Patrons of Husbandry, October 1st, 1872, he was unanimously chosen to be its principal officer, or Master; and at the expiration of this term of office he was again re-elected. He was appointed soon after his connection with the order, by the national officers, as a General Deputy, to organize subordinate granges in Ohio. By the 1st of the following April he had organized over seventy granges. On the 9th day of April, 1873, the masters of the various subordinate granges in the State (it then being located in the following counties, viz.: Stark, Portage, Hocking, Montgomery, Clinton, Vinton, Clermont, Greene and Warren) met at Lebanon, Warren county, and with the assistance of Mr. T. A. Thompson, of Minnesota, Worthy Lecturer of the National Grange, organized the State Grange of Ohio. Of this organization his associates chose Mr. Ellis to be its chief officer, that of Worthy Master, the election to last for two years. At the expiration of this period, in March, 1875, he was again nearly unanimously re-elected to the same position for another term of two years. The granges in the State having increased up to that time, under his efficient leadership, to over 1100, with a membership of over 50,000, his labors in this good work have been incessant, and next to his family and the church has lain nearest his heart. His position as the chief officer in the State has led to the acquaintance of many of the best men and women in Ohio, he having in this capacity formed acquaintance, more or less intimate, with persons in every county in the State; and having the office of State Master places the responsible duty of representing the order in Ohio in the National Grange upon Mr. Ellis and his wife, which position they have filled in three meetings of the National Grange, the first at St. Louis, Missouri, the second at Charleston, South Carolina, and the third at Louisville, Kentucky, the latter commencing November 17th, 1875. At this meeting Mr. Ellis was chosen Chaplain of the National Grange for the next three years. The biography of Colonel William H. Hill will give the reader an idea of the business transacted by this noble association of farmers.

From: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Ohio of the Nineteenth Century. Columbus, OH, USA: Galaxy Publishing Co., 1876.

History of Martinsville, (Clinton County) Ohio

Biographies: