Ellsworth family papers
Scope and Content
The bulk of this collection contains the personal records of William A. Ellsworth. First, there are the Hudson Middle and High School records of William, which consist of photographs, report cards, and other school related documents. Next, the collection contains a great deal of family photographs, including those of William and his wife Violet. These photographs span from 1897-1980 with many generations of Ellsworths shown. Members of the Ellsworth family that served in World War II are also included in this collection. Most of these family members have been identified on the reverse of the photograph. The Ellsworth Family also hired a genealogist in the 1980s to research the family name in a report, which is included in a family lineage, going as far back as 14th century England. The Ellsworth family collected a number of manuscripts written in the 1820s and has some relation to the Buell family. Some of these letters are written in a form of code that is unreadable.
Of interest to the researcher is a large amount of correspondence between William and various Hudson officials on the nomination and election of William as postmaster in 1939. There also are photographs of William as postmaster, as well as images of the new post office under construction and the opening ceremony. Images of William for a postage stamp, in recognition of his hard work as postmaster, are also included.
There is also a large amount of material relating to the estate of William Adelbert Ellsworth and his father William Buell Ellsworth containing wills, court records, and family correspondence regarding both estates. Finally, there are certificates and diplomas regarding William James Ellsworth, William's (Adelbert) son training in the Army as a mechanic, and subsequent training at Chevolet Motors as a technician.
Dates
- Creation: 1897-1980
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1930-1960
Creator
- Ellsworth family (Family)
Restrictions on Access
The collection is open for research use.
Restrictions on Use
The collection is open for research use.
Biography of William A. Ellsworth
William Adelbert Ellsworth (1897-1960) was the son of William Buell Ellsworth (1861-1937) and Grace Fillmore Ellsworth (1867-1943). The Ellsworth families were longtime residents of Hudson, Ohio, descended from original settlers. William Buell Ellsworth is the great grandson of John Ellsworth (1795-1876) and Anna Birge Ellsworth (1764-1828).
Raised in Hudson, William (Adelbert) married Violet Mae Gemmill in 1934. That same year, FDR appointed William A. Ellsworth to be postmaster of Hudson, a position he held for 25 years. During his tenure as postmaster William campaigned for the creation of a new post office, which was completed in 1959 shortly before his death in 1960. After the death of William, Violet moved to California to be with her son William James Ellsworth.
Extent
.66 Linear Feet (2 boxes (1 oversize))
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
These papers primarily deal with the papers of the Ellsworth family from the John Ellsworth line (1795-1871). The Ellsworth family of Hudson, Ohio, descends from John Ellsworth (1762-1875) and Anna Birge (1764-1828).
This collection includes genealogical materials on the Ellsworth family including family correspondence, photos, and a family scrapbook containing photographs and other Hudson newspaper clippings. Also included are estate records of William Adelbert and his father William Buell Ellsworth, and assorted certificates and diplomas of William James Ellsworth. Of importance are William Adelbert Ellsworth's School records, containing photographs and report cards from Hudson High School and Hudson postmaster correspondence and photographs.
Statement of Arrangement
The collection has been divided into four series: 1) Correspondence and records, 2) Photographs 3) Newspaper clippings 4) Scrapbook and oversized documents
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Derrick Ranostaj, volunteer in March 2013.
Subject
- Ellsworth, William Buell, 1861-1937 (Person)
- Ellsworth, Violet Blackburn, 1899-1990 (Person)
- Ellsworth, William James, 1937-2011 (Person)
- Ellsworth family (Family)
- Ellsworth, William A., 1897-1960 (Person)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Occupation
Topical
- Title
- Finding aid for the Ellsworth family papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Derrick Ranostaj
- Date
- 2024
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English, Latin script
Repository Details
Part of the Hudson Library & Historical Society Repository