Merced County Biographies

DAVID L. ELLIS

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


        The life story of this "born and reared" Californian is full of 
interests 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.
 
History of Merced County, California � Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1925
page 500-501