Life Story of Stephen Hales Ellis Compiled by Owen Ellis of Woods Cross, Utah in 1968

Stephen Hales Ellis was born 18 Oct 1846 at Fort Madison, Lee County, Iowa, to John and Harriet Hales Ellis. His father, John Ellis, a carpenter and cooper, was the son of John and Hannah Stoner Ellis of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.

Harriet Hales was a daughter of Stephen and Mary Ann Hales (1^st cousins). Harriet was born 10 June 1824, in Rainham, Kent County, England. She with her family emigrated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada when she was eight years old. The trip from England took 11 weeks. During the trip one of her twin brothers died and was buried at sea. She and her family joined the church in 1836. In the spring of 1838 they moved to Far West. From Far West they were driven with the saints to Quincy, Illinois, where she met John Ellis. They were married on the 31^st of October 1839.

John Ellis was born January 4, 1814 in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. He joined the church in 1836 and because he joined the church was driven from his home during the winter of 1836-37 and as the story goes he took with him only a pair of ice skates. He probably skated around the edge of the Lakes down to Kirtland. In 1838 he moved to Far West and soon after that moved to Quincy, Illinois where he met and married Harriet Hales. Their first daughter, Mary Ann was born 30 Dec 1840 in Quincy. The family then moved to Hancock County, Illinois where a second daughter Hannah Isabel was born 31 Dec 1843. The family then moved to Fort Madison, Iowa where Stephen Hales Ellis, our direct ancestor, was born 18 Oct 1846. John Henry Ellis, the second son of John and Harriet, was born at Appanoose, Illinois on the 18^th of March 1849. When the saints were finally driven west, the Ellis family stopped to visit with one or more of Harriet's brothers at Garden Grove.

While crossing the plains, the company had many encounters with buffaloes. During one buffalo stampede Ellen Kingsley was killed when she jumped out of the rear of a wagon and the next team ran over her. Two of the team ran and more would have run had it not been for the presence of mind of young Frank Owen and his sister who placed a quilt in front of the oxen's eyes until the stampede had passed. On another occasion they were saved by a small dog who ran behind the buffalo and bit at their heels. Quite a number of cattle were lost because of stampedes and alkali along the trail. I heard my father tell that on several occasions this little dog together with a big dog helped the pioneers kill buffaloes for meat. The big dog would run at the head of the buffaloes and the little dog would bite at their heels. This would confuse and tire the buffaloes so that a man on a horse could ride up behind and cut the ham strings of the buffaloes making them more or less helpless so they could be killed with fair safety for the men.

Stephen who was just four years old, was carried most of the way across the plains by the young ladies in the company who thought he was good looking. He and his family arrived in Salt Lake 24 Sept 1851. They stayed with his mother's sister Mrs. Isabella Hales Horne for a short time, and then came to South Bountiful, now known as Woods Cross. His father built a one room log cabin with a dirt floor about one-half block north of the present South Bountiful church. It was here, just 3 months after they arrived in the valley that the fifth child, Harriet Louise, was born 21 Dec 1851. Some of the children slept in the covered wagon used to cross the plains and the rest slept in trundle beds that slid under the main beds and hidden with valance during the day. Seven more children were born in this log cabin. In 1869 a four room adobe home was finished into which the family moved. These adobe bricks were made from clay or black gombo as we call it today. It was obtained west of Woods Cross near the lake bottoms. The adobe bricks were made by softening this mud with water and tromping straw into it with bare feet, and then putting the mixture into molds 4 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches. These were then left in the sun to dry and harden. Walls for the homes were made by setting these adobe bricks in mortar made of sand and lime. The lime was obtained from lime quarries and burned in lime kilns just south of the Davis County line at the point of the mountain, or just north of Beeks Hot Springs. The old log cabin was later used as a cow stable until 1944. It was located just northeast of the adobe home about 300 feet. Charles William Ellis lived in this adobe home the latter years of his life, and the home remained there some years after he died.

Stephen was eleven years old when Johnston's army threatened the saints in the Salt Lake Valley. The Ellis family moved to Cove Fort, 200 miles south of the South Bountiful area. Stephen's father was called to go up Echo Canyon to stop this army which was many times larger than the few men who were called to stop them. Stephen's father was one of the captains during this crisis. The people were determined that the enemy would find little or nothing if they came into the Valley to plunder the saints as had happened many times before. So the homes, barns, trees, and anything that would burn were banked with straw and 16 year old James I. Atkinson and a young lad Ingaborg J. Hogan were left behind to set fire to everything should the army enter the valley. These two had the two fastest and strongest horses in the valley.

The Ellis family had a few sheep and a few cows. From the sheep they got their wool to make their clothes. The wool was taken to the hot springs and washed. This made it go into a big blob. This had to be combed and carded before it could be made into wool thread on the old spinning wheel. This was then made into cloth and his mother then made it into clothes for the family. The cows gave them milk. For greens and vegetables they would pull red roots, sego roots, and a few herbs. As a boy I heard my father (Stephen) tell how these cows that were pastured along the streams in the east section of Bountiful would wander clear into City Creek canyon and he (Stephen) would have to go and bring them back. This was done bare-footed and he had to dog trot most of the way to get home before morning.

Bread was first made from ground wheat with salaratus used to make the bread raise. This is now called salt rising bread. The salaratus was obtained along the lake bottoms as the scum rose to the top of the mud and baked dry. It was left from the high waters of the Salt Lake. This was carefully scraped off and cleaned as best they could. Later on, a piece of dough was saved to make self starting yeast.

Fire was started by striking a flint stone against a knife blade, obtaining a spark that would catch fire with finely shredded wood or tree bark or bird nests. The value of the knife was somewhat determined by the spark it would make. Sometimes fires would be kept alive all night by banking the coals, and a lot of the time neighbors would borrow a light from their closest neighbors. Light was obtained from the light of fireplaces or "bitches" made from animal fats into which a piece of cloth was placed when the grease was hot and this lighted. Candles were later made for light and then the old coal-oil lamp came into use. These lamps had to be filled, the wicks trimmed and the glass that enclosed the light or chimneys cleaned every evening. This was not a very good light either.

When Stephen was old enough, he and a friend filed on 20 acres of land just south of Bountiful Cemetery. Stephen grubbed the oak and sage brush off his part of the land and planted it into sugar cane. He made molasses of the sugar cane, from the sale of the molasses he bought a pair of army boots which were very fine. His partner came by and admired them very much and asked Stephen what he would take for them. Stephen said he would trade them for the ten acres he had filed on, and the deal was made. It is said that the cane grew so thick and heavy that when some steers came by and made a run for the cane they couldn't penetrate the growth.

Hay and grain were first cut by butcher knives, sickle or scythe. The grain was cut later by attaching a cradle to the scythe. It is said that a good man could cut a ton of hay per day with a scythe and Stephen was one of the best. The grain was caught in these cradles, emptied into piles, tied into bundles, stood up to dry and then stacked. In the late fall or early winter this grain would be placed on a hard surface and beat with a flail (a stick attached to another smaller stick with a piece of buckskin). This would shake the grain out of the husks. When they thought the grain had been beaten enough, the chaff and grain would be tossed into the air and the breeze would blow the chaff to the side. The grain, being heavier, would fall to the floor and then shoveled into barrels for storage.

The people who first came to Davis County camped or made their homes along the Jordan River or near streams or springs where water and grass was handy for themselves and the cattle. This was a hardship on those coming later so Brigham Young had a survey made and the land divided into lots and parcels of farm land. The cost of this was $1.00 per acre and Stephen got a 12 acre piece. This was situated north of Five Points and ran from Five Points to Fourth East. This was a good piece of ground on which he raised fruit trees, a garden and alfalfa. A water ditch was made starting at the old Heber C. Kimball Crist Mill and running southwest to water this and other land west of this ditch. This ditch was called the Mill-pond ditch. Mahonri M. Brown was president and Stephen Vice-president of the company. Those who used the ditch were to apply for water only for land already cleared of oakbrush. Stephen did this but his neighbors and others applied for water for all of their ground. This bothered Stephen very much and was an indication of the type of individuals they were.

The Ellises were some of the first to make molasses. They had their own press and boiler. Molasses was first made from corn stalks, squash and later from sugar cane. Stephen had his own mill located just south of the Bountiful Cemetery. Later it was moved to the site where George Ellis's home is now. The juice extractor was run by horses going around in circles driving the gears that would squeeze the juice out of the cane. The juice was cooked and boiled in a large kettle set on top of a red brick fire box. The making of molasses turned out to be an "every member of the family" affair.

In 1865 the Black Hawk Indian war started and Stephen answered the call for volunteers. He was one of the captains. This war lasted for two years. During this time some of the men claimed they were sick and Stephen would give them his coat to keep them warm. He would stand their night watch. This caused Stephen to get sick himself with rheumatic fever and he had to be carried home on a sheet because he was so sick and sore all over. What medicine they had was given him in a large brass spoon.

His father's home was quite a popular place, besides being a place where several classes of instruction were held. It was a place where many young people gathered to sing, roast ears of corn, and eat candy made from molasses. In the summer when they had time they would play Run Sheep Run, Hide and Seek, and Mumble Peg, etc. Stephen sang many duets with Emma A. Moss and others. These parties were not held until 1860 because the families had barely enough for themselves. The communities would get together for sleigh-riding, skating, dancing, horse-racing, walking races, three legged races, and wild horse bucking or riding.

Stephen played in a military band. The uniforms were blue with three white stripes across the front of the coat, one white stripe running down each pant leg, one stripe across the cap, and brass buttons down the front of the coat and up the coat sleeve. This band played together for ten years at all the big gatherings like the Fourth of July and the Twenty-fourth of July. Stephen played the fife.

On 13^th of Feb 1871 Stephen married Helen Marr Lee at the bedside of his father who was too sick to attend his oldest son's wedding. His father was sick in bed with cancer of the throat.

Stephen's first home was built just east of where Orson's home is now and was built of lime cement mixed into sand and gravel. This home consisted of 4 rooms-two on the ground level and two above. Later, 4 more rooms were added to the east side of the house. They were made of red brick and are still standing. Stephen hired a very finely skilled wood carver to make and install the wood base and window casing and the fireplace mantle but it took him a long time to do it as he got intoxicated quite often. High ceiling were the style in those days. The higher the ceilings, the more impressive the home and individual. The ceilings in Stephen's home were about average-12 feet high. Between these two homes was a stairway and bath. At the top of the stairway was a platform on which the flour and sugar was stored in a large box for winter food. Pears and apples were also placed on this platform to ripen. A large pit was dug to the south and west of the home into which potatoes, parsnips, and carrots were stored for winter use. Melons and squash were stored in the hay stack. We always had cows to supply milk, and plenty of hay for the cows and horses.

Prior to 1899 the people saw the advantages of running their small herds of sheet together to conserve on sheep herders and save disputes on watering holes and feeding grounds. So in 1899 a group with Stephen as president, formed the Bountiful Livestock Company. Later other sheep owners with some of the herds from the Bountiful Livestock Company incorporated the company and became known as the Deseret Livestock Company. Stephen at one time was the largest stock holder in this company. He also helped to organize the Bennion Livestock Company, the Woods Cross Canning Company, the Farmers State Bank, the Bountiful State Bank, the Union State Bank, the Bountiful Light Company, the Bountiful Telephone Company, etc. He was very frugal, however; he invested in many enterprises. He also loaned money to a lot of people. He kept several young men on LDS missions and two of them worked for him before going on their missions. He contributed generously to the church and the community also. During election times he would furnish his surry and a driver and his best team of horses to take the people to the poles.

Stephen was called with others to help settle the town of Woodruff. Here he homesteaded a large ranch to which he traveled each summer to put up hay and care for his cattle. While operating these ranches he never carried a gun. He believed in talking over problems instead of using force. The matter of water rights, boundaries and cattle were settled for good when settled this way and no one carried a grudge or wanted to get even with the other fellow. The Woodruff ranch was later run by different sons and finally purchased by his son Ralph Ellis.

He had four sons and four daughters by Helen Marr Lee. His youngest daughter Cordelia and his wife Helen Marr died soon after child birth. He lived alone for a long time with his oldest daughter Helen Marr known as Nell, who was then 13, to take care of the family, make their clothes, feed and care for them in place of their mother.

On May 30, 1901 Stephen married Axeline Katherine Peterson by whom he had four sons. Stephen never got much of an education-only to the 3^rd reader. This was because of his father being sick and having to help provide the necessities for the family. He was a good writer even though he had little education. He could add and subtract with the best. He was also an excellent penman.

Stephen had several sprained and broken legs which he received while milking wild and mean cows which he used to bring from the ranch in Woodruff. This left him in his later years with rheumatism in his legs and he had to use a cane, but he could walk and pitch hay with any man.

In 1910 or 1912 Stephen, his brother Joseph Ellis and Leroy Cahoon purchased a steam well-driving machine in Salt Lake City. I remember when they went to get it and while coming through North Salt Lake, the wagon gear broke in the middle and let the steam boiler fall against Stephen's back and pinned him so that he couldn't get away from it. So he had to hold it up until help came to lift it from him. His back hurt him badly and put him in bed for several days. Only a man with a strong constitution could have survived this ordeal. With this machine his brother Joseph drove quite a number of flowing wells in and around Woods Cross.

In his later years he bought 90 acres in North Ogden which he and his hired men plowed and planted into wheat and lucern. This was plowed with a twin riding plow using four or five horses in a span to pull it. In the fall he harvested a thousand or so bushel of wheat and some alfalfa seed.

On Thanksgiving and New Years day the whole family used to get together and have a big dinner. Afterwards they would get around the fireplace and piano and sing many folk songs. Some of these songs were: "The Big Old Crow," "Kate and Her Old Cow Hide," "The Big Meat Pieman," and others would sing and tell stories. Stephen loved to play tricks and jokes on the grandchildren.

After the first World War the depression came and many of the old timers had a hard time of it. Many companies went broke or couldn't pay interest or dividends. One company, the Montana-Idaho Sugar Company that had just started was almost bankrupt and they told the investors that if they would put in a matching amount to what they had already invested, they could pull out of the bankruptcy. Stephen did this with another $5,000. I don't think he ever got a dime out of this company.

Another thing that hurt him was the Bonneville Irrigation Company that promised more water for the farmers in Bountiful and Woods Cross area. The cost of the construction and equipment was so great that the land couldn't pay for it. It cost $3000 for water for 42 acres. Many of the farmers let their land go for back taxes. The year after getting the first water from the Bonneville Canal, Stephen passed to the great beyond. His body was worn out, but his mind remained clear and active until his death. He mowed hay in the spring of 1922. His spirit left his mortal body October 2, 1922, just 14 days short of his 76^th birthday. He left behind him a great heritage for his family and all who knew him.