MR. THOMAS ELLIS. WHITESBORO, ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
THOMAS ELLIS, WHITESBORO’S OLDEST RESIDENT, PASSES AWAY.
WHITESBORO. January 27th.1902 - Thomas Ellis, on of the oldest residents of this village, if not the oldest, passed away at his home last evening. He had been in poor health for many years.Mr. Ellis was born at Twrog, Merionethshire, North Wales, Sept. 25, 1815. When he was 11 years old his family came to this country arriving in Oneida county in 1828. They purchased a farm in the town of Marcy. They were obliged to cut down the trees in order to make a clearing large enough to erect the house, which was of logs. They remained there four years, clearing the land and taking the wood to Utica for sale.
Drawing cord wood to Utica was quite an industry at the time and very many of the farmers engaged in it, giving the roads between Marcy and Utica quite a lively appearance. Thence the Ellis family removed to a farm on the Fox road, near where Bethania church now stands. In fact, the land on which it stands was donated by Mr. Ellis’ father to the society for that purpose. The younger Ellis helped to cut the timber and make the frame for the building. They remained there four or five years then came to Whitesboro and located in the old house which stands just west of the Robert Jones property on the north side of Main street. They worked the Dexter farm, which lay northeast bounded by the river and Sauquoit creek.
Mr Ellis worked there several years and then went to the pail factory in Whitesboro, where he was employed by the firm consisting of Julius Watkins, Samuel Nolson and Thomas Ferguson. After having been employed there three years he bought an interest in company with his brother, Ellis Ellis, William Roberts, and Morris R. Lloyd. The factor then stood on the west part of the farm on the site for many years occupied by Dr. Wright’s red barn. That factory burned down and the company was obliged to find another.
Ellis Ellis sold to Mr. Mervin and later Thomas Ellis bought Mr. Mervin’s share. The firm was known as Ellis and Co. and the factory was the Whitesboro Pull and Tub factory. For years these goods commanded the highest price on the market and sold at wholesale for better figures than other makes could be bought at retail.
In 1874 W. C. Ellis and W. G. Stone bought out William Roberts’ interest. The factory continued to run until it was burned one Sunday morning in June several years ago. The site has since been occupied by dwelling houses.
Thomas Ellis married Mary Davis in Utica July 2nd, 1846. They had three children all of whom are living, W. C. Ellis of Whitesboro, J. Milton Ellis of Rockford, Illinois, and Mrs. W. C. Stone of Whitesboro.