Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 836
CLARK ELLIS

Clark ELLIS, of the village of Little Sioux, came from Brown County, Ohio, with his mother and eight other children, in the spring of 1855, by the way of boat to St. Joseph, MO., and by stage to Harrison County, and located in Jackson Township, where they rented a farm one year, after which the mother and six of her sons pre-empted land in this county. Clark was a little past eleven years old. At that time there were but few people in the township and the nearest market point was Kanesville. The first winter their main food was hominy, and he well remembers of even eating the siftings from corn meal. There was plenty of game which helped out their subsistence in a good degree. He tells of being obliged, in the winter of 1856-57, to go to bed through the day to keep from freezing, while the snow sifted therough the "shakes" of the roof until it was a foot deep all over the house. He remained at home and when seventeen years of age he was the main support for his mother and six children, as his two older brothers had become soldiers in the Civil War.

In the month of August, 1862, he and two brothers, A. B. M. and J. H., enlisted in Company C, Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry. He went South and served three years, receiving his discharge August 10, 1865, at New Orleans and was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, feeling that he had done his share toward putting down the rebellion. He participated in the battles of Helena, Ark.; Vicksburg; fought their way to Little Rock, and was in the battle at Saline River, Ark., which lasted seven or eight hours, and the mud was knee deep. They returned to Little Rock, then went to Spanish Fort by the way of New Orleans where they had a sever engagement, also Whistler Station. He was taken sick with the lung fever soon after the Saline River engagement, and was in the hospital two weeks, after which he was detailed in the hospital department, where he commenced his first experience in the drug business; he got back to the ranks a short time before he was discharged and was made Corporal.

After coming out of the service he resumed farm life in Little Sioux Township, which he followed ten years, during which time he studied the drug business, and had been in a drug-store at odd times in Little Sioux.

May 1, 1875, he purchased his present location and moved in a stock of drugs, and has continued in this business ever since. As early as when he was eight years old, upon going into a drug-store, he resolved that if he ever lived to be a man he would become a druggist.

Our subject was born in Brown County, Ohio, October 25, 1843; the son of John and Hannah (MARTIN) ELLIS, and is the twelfth of a family of thirteen, all of whom grew to be adults. He attended his first school in Brown County, Ohio, and after schools were provided in Harrison County he attended here, but most of his knowledge has been gained by home study and practical experience.

Mr. ELLIS was united in marriage February 14, 1867, with Edna HALL, a native of Missouri, born January 14, 1852, and the daughter of Andrew HALL. Her mother died when she was yet a small child. The home of Mr. and Mrs. ELLIS has been blessed by the advent of three children -- Rufus N., Effie May, and Samuel Strausser.

Our subject is a member of Lodge No. 389, I.O.O.F., and Frontier Lodge No. 382, of the Masonic order at Little Sioux.

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