WI BIO - Dane Co - ELLIS, Claudius
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol I, pp 173-174

Claudius ELLIS was born in Schuyler County, NY, 03 Aug 1822, the son of 
Benjamin ELLIS, a native of Dutchess County, NY, born about 1776, and died in 
Schuyler County, NY, in 1859. The grandfather of our subject was also named 
Benjamin, and was a farmer, which occupation the family has followed since. 
The grandfather died in Dutchess County when about 75 years of age. His wife 
was a Miss CARPENTER, and they had two children; one died young; and the son 
became the father of our subject. Grandfather ELLIS was one of six brothers 
who came to America from Wales, and served in the War of the Revolution, 
although some of his brothers took part in the same struggle in the British 
navy.

Benjamin ELLIS, the father of our subject, was reared to the life of a 
farmer, and married Martha TOWNSEND, a lady of German extraction, and she 
bore him 11 children, of whom our subject is the youngest and the only 
survivor. They moved west to what is now Schuyler County, WI, near Seneca 
Lake, in 1816. The removal was made with teams of their own, and they bought 
a squatter's claim of 200 acres of heavily timbered land. They moved into 
the rough log cabin until they could build a better habitation. The means of 
the subject were limited, but what was a necessity for family use for food 
and for seed, he paid $200 for 100 bushels of it. His first crop was 
marketed at Geneva, which he took down the lake in a boat of his own 
building. He gave 12 bushels of wheat for one barrel of salt, and 8 bushels 
for one pound of cotton yarn. The first 10 acres were cleared by himself and 
two grown sons in the first year. They sold this farm, which was all well 
improved many years later, and bought another in Townsend, Steuben County, 
NY. Martha (TOWNSEND) ELLIS, the mother of these children, died in middle 
life, and the Benjamin ELLIS, the father, was again married. The cause of 
his death was a smoke cancer.

Claudius ELLIS was brought up on the farm, but learned the trade of a 
carpenter and joiner, beginning at the age of 16, and by the time he was 21 
he was a contractor and builder. Claudius ELLIS was married before he was 19 
years of age, and his wife was nearly 20. Her name was Janet ROOD, of 
Reading, Schuyler County, NY, now Steuben County. Her father was Rockwell 
ROOD, and her mother was Sally DAVIS, born in Saratoga [Saratoga County], NY. 
Mrs. ELLIS had a good education and had taught school for three terms in 
that section. Claudius and Janet (ROOD) ELLIS came West in 1853, and soon 
settled on their present farm. They came by water to Toledo, OH, and by rail 
to Chicago, IL, and landed in Verona, Dane County, WI, 14 Oct 1853. They 
brought their own teams and drove out from Chicago. They had sold their old 
farm in NY for $65 per acre, and bought 204 acres here for $1,650 [about $8 
per acre], and the first year his [p 174] wheat crop repaid him his money. 
The price that year was from $1 to $1.50 [per bushel], and within three years 
he sold 1,400 bushels at 48 cents [a bushel]. They first bought a farm in 
Middleton Township, and sold it at an advanced price of $1,000, and that was 
one of the financial bargains of his life.

Cladius ELLIS has always done mixed farming. The three children of Claudius 
and Janet (ROOD) ELLIS were born in Schuyler County, NY: B. R., E. R., and 
Alice. B. R. ELLIS, now a farmer in Windsor Township, Dane County, WI, 
married Olyette SMITH, of NY, and they have a son and daughter. E. R. ELLIS 
married Martha LELAND, who was born in Dane County, WI, of New England 
parents; they have four sons and three daughters, and still reside on the 
farm. These sons [B. R. and E. R. ELLIS] were in the Civil War. The eldest 
was the first to go from the Madison University, at the age of 20 years, and 
enlisted as a Private in the cavalry, but was made a Sergeant, and served 
three years; he was never wounded, although he had two horses fall beneath 
him; the one he brought home had a ball through it jaws. The second son went 
into the army the last year of the war [1865], and entered the 2nd Cavalry as 
a Private. He was with CUSTER in TX, and came home sound. Cladius and Janet 
(ROOD) ELLIS had but one daughter, Alice, who married David DAVIS, of Windsor 
[Dane County, WI]. They settled on a fine farm in Windsor, and have one son, 
Robert E., and one daughter, Nettie A. Janet (ROOD) DAVIS died 15 May 1889, 
aged 37 years. She was an accomplished teacher, and had taught 18 terms 
before marriage. She is sadly missed, as her many lovable traits made her 
very dear to husband and children.

Cladius ELLIS was chairman of the Board of Supervisors for two years, and 
served three years during the war. He was Justice of the Peace for many 
years, and has been a Democrat all his life. The quota of soldiers in this 
town was filled largely through his efforts, and he paid out $18,000 in 
bounty during his administration, for his town of Westport [Dane County, WI].

In 1859 Claudius ELLIS went to Pike's Peak, and was in that country for two 
years, prospecting, and he took a ranch near Denver, CO, which he improved by 
building upon it. He owned some village property there. He went across the 
plains with a company of 40 others, of whom he was the captain. His team was 
two yoke of oxen and one yoke of cows; the party was three months on the way.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly