Merced County CA Archives Biographies.....Ellis, David L. 1869 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com February 6, 2006, 12:36 am

Author: John Outcalt (1925)

DAVID L. ELLIS

   The life story of this "born and reared" Californian is full of interest to
all students of history, including as it does the experiences of pioneer
parents, and his own life as a youth, during the early days in the settling up
of the valley regions of the State. Born in Plainsburg, Merced County, August
29, 1869, of Scotch-English extraction, David L. Ellis is the eldest of eleven
children born to his parents, all of whom survive, but none of the family, with
the exception of David L., now reside in Merced County. Thomas H., the father,
born August 18, 1826, in Humphrey County, Tenn., was a Forty-niner, and worked
his way to California with a party of emigrants who left Tennessee in 1848 and
arrived at the Southern Mines in 1849, and followed mining until his marriage.
After his marriage, which united him with Maggie Harris, her family at that time
living near Plainsburg, he settled in Merced County, at Sandy Mush, and devoted
his life to stock-raising and ranching. He was well and favorably known on the
range from Stockton to Tulare Lake, and from Mariposa to Hollister. Active as a
Democrat, he was always much interested in California progress, and did worthy
work toward that end. He later sold out his Merced County interests to spend his
declining years in Selma, and there his death occurred, July 10, 1899. Maggie
Harris Ellis was the daughter of the late Isaac Harris, a Texas ranger who came
to California in 1853; she was a native of the Golden State, and her death
occurred November 23, 1900, at Selma, Cal.

   David L. attended the Lone Tree school, with some sixty-five other pupils,
having for a teacher Judge Connolly, now of Madera. He was practically reared in
the saddle, working on the range with his father, and recalls many interesting
experiences, one of them indelibly printed on his memory. It occurred during the
exceedingly dry year of 1877, when he accompanied his father, driving a band of
cattle from Sandy Mush to the North Fork of the San Joaquin River. The sad sight
of the dead stock on the plains due to the drought, made an impression on his
youthful mind and heart which he has never forgotten.

   When Mr. Ellis started out to work on his own account, he entered the employ
of Henry Miller, and remained steadily in his employ until 1890, in charge of
cattle camps on the Santa Rita, New Columbia and Hoglan ranches; a faithful and
trusted employee of the former "Cattle King" of California, he became well-known
throughout the valley as a man to be depended upon. The next nine years were
occupied at Sandy Mush homesteading 160 acres, and working on the outside on the
Chowchilla ranch and also for Chamberlain & Company. In the meantime he invested
in the Landram Colony at Buhach buying twenty-six acres and starting development
work there. He is now the owner of this ranch, having brought it to a splendid
condition of development, and also owns city lots in Atwater.

   The marriage of Mr. Ellis, July 9, 1889, at the Moran Hotel, Merced, united
him with Leila Robison, born April 26, 1873, at Mariposa, the daughter of Neil
and Tabitha Ann (Elam) Robison, both natives of Tennessee, the father born
February 14, 1840, and died October 16, 1889, at Plainsburg, Merced County;
while his good wife was born July 3, 1849, and died February 2, 1882. Six
children were born to them, Mrs. Ellis being third in order of birth. Three
children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis: Neil L., an ex-service
man who served in the World War as a Second Lieutenant, now resides in Fresno;
Mae L., wife of H. A. Dodson, also of Fresno; and Lee R., at home. There is one
grandchild, Neil L., Jr. Fraternally, Mr. Ellis has been a member of the Modern
Woodman of America for twenty years. He is keenly interested in the further
growth and development of his section of the State, and does all in his power to
aid in movements which have that end in view.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF
MERCED COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
WITH A
Biographical Review
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been
Identified with Its Growth and Development
from the Early Days to the Present

HISTORY BY
JOHN OUTCALT

ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME
HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
1925


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