Bio: Ellis P. NEWLIN, (1893); Chester County, Pennsylvania Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** From the 'Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Comprising a Historical Sketch of the County', by Samuel T. Wiley, revised and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, published by the Gresham Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1893, pp. 769-770: ELLIS P. NEWLIN, the proprietor of the Green Tree Inn, of West Chester, and a wounded Union soldier of the late war, and who enjoys the popular distinction of being one of the most accommodating landlords in Chester county, is a son of Henry and Louisa (Elkins) Newlin, and was born in Highland township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1841. The Newlins are of Irish descent and the name was originally written Newland. They came in an early day to what is now Delaware county, where James Newlin, the paternal grandfather of Ellis Newlin, was born and reared to manhood. James Newlin although a poor boy, yet was a typical American boy and such was his energetic career in life that he died quite a wealthy man. He was a millwright by trade, came to East Fallowfield township, Chester county, in early life and acquired property rapidly. He owned a good farm, and a paper, a clover, and a saw-mill at Newlin's Mills. He died on Duck run in East Fallowfield township in 1877 at eighty-two years of age. He was energetic, thoroughgoing, and a useful man, and married and reared a family. His son, Henry Newlin, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in this county in 1814. He was a farmer and paper manufacturer in Highland township until 1863, when he removed to West Fallowfield township, where he embarked at Cochranville in the hotel business, which he followed up to 1878. He then retired from active business and died in October, 1886, when in the seventy-fourth year of his age. He was a democrat in politics and an active man in business affairs, and while running his paper-mill in Highland township, enjoyed a remarkably good trade, which he had built up by his own efforts. He married Louisa Elkins, who was reared in this county, where she died in April, 1891, at seventy-four years of age. She was a daughter of George W. Elkins, a paper manufacturer of this county, who moved to Philadelphia where he died. Mr. and Mrs. Newlin reared a large family of children. Ellis P. Newlin was reared on his father's Highland township farm, received his education in the common schools, and in 1862 enlisted in Co. L, 17th Pennsylvania cavalry. He was elected first sergeant of his company and served until the close of the war, being honorably discharged from the Federal service at Little York, this State, in June, 1865. He lost two fingers of his right hand at Chancellorsville, but did not leave the army, and was in all the succeeding battles of the army of the Potomac, until the Southern Confederacy went to pieces at Appomattox Court House. After being discharged, he went to Cochran's Mills, where he was engaged in the hotel business for eight years. He then removed to Oxford, ran the Oxford house one year and then assumed management of the Gum Tree hotel, which he conducted in connection with farming until 1881. In that year he came to West chester where he leased the Green Tree hotel for three years, and at the end of that time, returned to his farm on which he remained one year. He then returned to West Chester and purchased the Mansion house, which he sold six years later to its present proprietor. In the winter of 1891, he purchased the Green Tree hotel, whose name he changed to Green Tree inn and which he has conducted most successfully ever since. The Green Tree inn was established nearly a century ago and is recognized as one of the best hotels in the county. The present building is a four-story brick structure, 50x60 feet in dimensions, furnished and fitted throughout in modern style. It is heated by hot air, lighted by electricity, and in every respect equals any of the best first-class hotels in the country, excepting those of the larger cities. It contains nearly fifty sleeping rooms, a fine dining room arranged to accommodate one hundred guests, and reading, writing and sample rooms, with a first-class bar. Mr. Newlin has made an effort to establish a model hotel and has succeeded. He is well prepared to accommodate both permanent and transient guests, and has stabling and shed room sufficient to provide for one hundred head of horses and seventy-five teams. He personally supervises every detail of his business and employs none but courteous and accommodating assistants. In 1870, Mr. Newlin married Bella, daughter of John Keech, of Highland township, and they have three children: Robert H., Anna and Emily. In politics Mr. Newlin is a democrat. He is a member of Skerrett Lodge, No. 343, Free and Accepted Masons, of Cochranville. Ellis Newlin is a honorable and progressive business man, and ranks as one of Chester county's most enterprising citizens.