Ellery, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ellery, Illinois
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 Ellery, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Ellery, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Edwards, Wayne |
| Elevation | 430 ft (130 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
62833
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| Area code(s) | 618 |
| GNIS feature ID | 407887 |
Ellery is a small community in Illinois, United States. It is not an official town or city. What makes Ellery special is that it sits right on the border of two counties. The eastern part of Ellery is in Edwards County. The western part is in Wayne County. The main street of Ellery actually has the county line running right down its middle!
Contents
History of Ellery
How Ellery Began
Ellery was started in 1880. It was named after a person who helped plan the railroad and the town's streets. A man named William Lines gave a lot of land for the community. He also helped get special pens built for livestock near the railroad. Because of his help, some people thought the town should be called Linesville.
However, when they tried to name the post office Linesville, the name was rejected. This was because there was already another place called Linsville in Illinois. So, they had to pick a different name.
Where Ellery's Buildings Were Located
The post office in Ellery has always been on the east side of the main street. This means it was in Edwards County. Because of this, Ellery is officially listed as being in Edwards County, Illinois. But many of the businesses in Ellery were actually on the west side of the street, in Wayne County.
Even though Ellery never had its own school, it built a church early on. This church, the Ellery Christian Church, is still open today. At one time, there was a woolen mill at the north end of Ellery. A creamery, which processes milk, also operated at the south end for several years.
Ellery's Size and Streets
Ellery is a small but well-organized community. It has forty-five lots, each measuring about 66 feet by 132 feet. The streets were all the same width. They were named Main, Edwards, and Wayne. There were also narrow alleys, about 12 feet wide. The entire community covers a square area, with each side being only one-eighth of a mile long.
Busy Times in Ellery
For a long time, Ellery was a very active place. At one point, it had five different stores. These stores were run by people like Mr. Lance and his son, Albert Kimbrell, Morris Mckibben, and George Knodell. Ellery also had two barber shops. These were run by Thomas Meadows and Frank Clutter.
Ezra Michels built the very first house in Ellery. The first store was built in 1882. It was located north of the railroad tracks. Bob Ramsey and Ted Woods were the first to run this store.
George Pettigrew had one of the first stores in Ellery. It was located in Wayne County. Other people, like Morrie McKibben, later had a store in that same building. Al Kimbrell ran a store nearby for many years. He was also the postmaster during the early 1900s. Later, a Mr. Land ran a store in the same building. Even later, Nell Rook Murphy (who was the postmistress) and May Inskeep Woods operated a store there.
Lafayette Lines built a wooden store building south of the railroad tracks. Mr. Lance bought this building. He moved it across the street and further south. It was then used as a blacksmith shop by Wright Willis.
At one time, George Stroup owned a large sawmill and a grist mill. This building was about 40 by 50 feet in size and three stories tall. In July 1915, a grain elevator was built in Ellery.
