FERRIS, ELI

FERRIS, FITCH

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 5/20/2005 at 16:49:27

Biography reproduced from page 430 of the History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa published in 1884:

Eli Ferris was born Nov. 26, 1819, in Blakley, Luzerne Co., Penn. In 1858 he made a trip west, and laid a claim on part of section 14, township 96, range 29, went to Illinois, and was married to Nancy Jane Fitch, born March 14, 1839, in Knox Co., Ill. After living in Illinois one year, he moved back to Pennsylvania, where he remained five years, then removed again to Illinois and spent six years. He then came back to his claim in Iowa where he still lives. While he was making his claim, he, with John Callender, kept bachelor hall, in a log shanty. They killed a wild goose, and after cooking it three weeks, threw part of it away, too tough to eat. At one time when all the men were out of the neighborhood except Messrs. Ferris and Callender, the prairies took fire, and they had to fight two days and two nights to save the houses in the neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. Ferris have five children—Isaac J., Silas M., James M., Jennie and Bert B. Both are members of the Baptist Church, and belong to the Grange.