John Pearl Ellis

 

John Pearl Ellis is the owner of a large and complete blacksmith shop in Postville and his success in the conduct of this enterprise is the natural result of his industry and enterprise. He was born in the city where he now resides, June 18, 1878, and is a son of Jonathan and Lydia A. (Dow) Ellis, the former born in Ohio in 1813 and the latter in New Hampshire in 1842. In his earl years the father engaged in the hardware business in; Postville but later turned his attention to dealing in real estate, becoming afterward identified with agricultural pursuits in Post township. He continued farming until 1885, when he returned to the city and lived there retired until his death, which occurred in 1901. The mother survives him and makes her home in Postville. They were the parents of two children: Gertrude, the wife of W. Krambeer, a blacksmith in Charles
City, Iowa; and John Pearl, of this review.

In the acquirement of an education John Pearl Ellis attended public school in his native city but his advantages along this line were extremely limited, for he has been earning his own livelihood since he was fourteen years of age. The independence and self-reliance which his early life engendered in his character have remained among his most prominent qualities and constitute one of the; chief sources of his present success. Before he was sixteen years of age he began earning the blacksmith’s trade and after he had mastered it worked in the employ of others for about eight years and a half, at the end of that time embarking in business for himself with a partner. Their association continued for over five years and then Mr. Ellis purchased his partner’s interest, becoming in this way sole proprietor of a large and well equipped establishment. He makes a specialty of horseshoeing and plow repairing but he does also all kinds of repair work, employing two skilled mechanics to assist him. His shop is equipped with all the newest gasoline and electrical appliances, for he keeps constantly in touch with the trend of modern progress along the line of his business and never allows the work done in his establishment to be inferior because of insufficient equipment. A progressive and able business man and in addition a specialist in his chosen field, he has been accorded a large and liberal patronage and this is constantly increasing as the quality of his work become more widely known.

Mr. Ellis was married on the 2d of July, 1901, to Miss Carrie J. Taylor, a native of Lincoln, Nebraska, and a daughter of Harland and Jane (Bray) Taylor, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Iowa. The father was for many years employed by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad but is now a resident of Hopkins, Minnesota. His wife has passed away. Mr.and Mrs. Ellis became the parents of five children, Lyle, Clifford, Keith, Kenneth, Ruby, Evelyn and Naomi, all at home.

Mr. Ellis belongs to Brotherly Love Lodge, No. 204, A.F. & A.M., and is identified also with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Modern Brotherhood of America. He is one of the prominent business men of Postville, identified with its growth and development, and he is well known in Allamakee county as one of its progressive and public-spirited citizens.

-source: Past & Present of Allamakee County; by Ellery M. Hancock; S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.; 1913
-transcribed by Diana Diedrich

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