Yolo-Sacramento-Sutter County CA Archives Biographies.....Ely, Isaac J. 1836 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com December 8, 2005, 5:56 pm Author: Tom Gregory ISAAC J. ELY From an early period in the colonization of the new world the Ely family was identified with its agricultural development and several successive generations lived in the south, the earliest representative coming from England and settling in Virginia. Several members of the Ely family fought in the Revolutionary war. During the year 1819 Isaac Ely, a Kentuckian by birth and education, located on land in Missouri, and in 1823 brought his wife and children to the newer regions of that state, taking up a claim in Rails county in the midst of a region so desolate that no settlers other than Indians had invaded the lonely precincts. Out of the wilderness he carved a home for his family, one of whom, Aaron F., born in Kentucky and reared in Missouri, married Miss Emily Utterbach, a native of Clay county, Mo., who was the daughter of George Utterbach, who served as aide to General Washington in the Revolutionary war, afterward moving to Kentucky, where lie married Catherine Spence. They began housekeeping upon a tract of raw land in Rails county and labored with devoted diligence to develop a productive farm out of the virgin soil. In 1844, ere he had realized his dreams of a highly improved farm and the acquisition of a competency, the father was stricken by the hand of death. Upon the widow devolved the task of rearing their children and making a home for the little family. This duty she performed nobly and affectionately and until her death, in 1879. she gave her thoughts and work wholly to the welfare of her children. Her eldest son was Isaac J., born in Ralls county, Mo., March 6, 1836. The second, Hankerson, died in Ralls county, Mo., in 1909, when almost sixty years of age. The third, Aaron F., Jr., died in Woodland, Cal., in 1901, leaving wife and children to mourn his demise. The youngest member of the family circle, Martin, is a resident of his native county in Missouri and engages in agricultural pursuits. To aid in an intelligent grasp of business matters Isaac J. Ely was given an excellent common school education, which he has enlarged by habits of observation and thoughtful reading. October 19, 1857, was his first day in his present locality and the date of his arrival in Sacramento at the expiration of a journey lasting only one day less than six months. The trip across the plains had been made with a large train of ox-teams, horses and cattle, and proved very tedious but not especially dangerous. Each day of the six months the young emigrant wrote in his diary an account of special happenings, all interesting and some amusing. The record was kept with painstaking care and was highly prized by him as a detailed description of an important series of events. When the journal was accidentally lost its author experienced a feeling of the deepest regret. After having gained some experience in mining for gold at Folsom and meanwhile having met with a little success, in Feb ruary of 1858 Mr. Ely came to Yolo county and took up land which he still owns and occupies. Later he bought a quit-claim deed to one hundred and sixty acres near his homestead. In 1864 he purchased another quarter section and removed to the new tract, where for a time he kept "bachelor's hall." At Woodland, August 19, 1866, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Jane (Strode) Watson, who was born in Ralls county, Mo., and came to California in 1852, settling at Sacramento. After his marriage Mr. Ely returned to the farm that he had purchased immediately after his removal to this county and here he took up general farm pursuits. In the course of time he erected a neat, substantial and commodious residence, adequate outbuildings, etc., and transformed the property into a highly improved estate, well adapted to profitable farming in grain and hay and also adapted especially to the raising of stock, high-grade cattle, horses and hogs being a specialty of the owner. Conservative in business dealings, wise in agricultural enterprises, judicious in the selection of stock and energetic in the dispatch of farm work, he furnishes an ideal type of the old settler who yet is in active touch with present-day affairs. In addition to eight hundred acres which he has in Yolo county, he owns valuable timber lands and stock range in Sutter county, where in 1878 he bought two tracts, one embracing one hundred and forty-seven and one-half acres and the other containing a quarter section. Some of this land is devoted to raising alfalfa and beans. A happy married life of twenty years was ended with the death of Mrs. Ely in 1886. Four children survive her. The two eldest sons, Frank E. and Rodney M., reside upon and cultivate the large home ranch. The first-named married Miss Annie Broughton and they have three sons, Isaac J., Jr., Robert D. and John F. Rodney M. married Miss Eliza Jacobs, and they have one daughter, Fern. Leslie S,, the third son in the family ,circle, has a son, Leslie S., Jr., and resides in Sacramento. The only daughter, Emily, Mrs. George N. Jacobs, of Woodland, Has two children, Isaac Wayne and Virginia. As early as 1865 Mr. Ely was made a Mason in Grafton Lodge No. 141, F. & A. M., and later he became connected with Woodland Chapter No. 46, R. A. M. and Woodland Commandery No. 21, K. T. The principles of the order have a firm adherent in him and he has been stanch in his long allegiance to the lofty creed adopted by the organization. His interest in the blue lodge has been particularly keen and his service in various positions, including that of worshipful master, has been intelligent and capable. His sons, Frank E. and Rodney M., are also disciples of Masonry and share the father's devoted faith in the principles of the order. Additional Comments: Extracted from HISTORY OF YOLO COUNTY CALIFORNIA WITH Biographical Sketches 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 TOM GREGORY AND OTHER WELL KNOWN WRITERS ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA [1913] File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/yolo/bios/ely137bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 6.6 Kb