Ellis Eames facts for kids
Ellis Eames (1809–1882) was an important leader in early Utah. He was the very first mayor of Provo, Utah, serving in 1851 and 1852.
Early Life of Ellis Eames
Ellis Eames was born in Mentor, Ohio. In 1834, he joined the Church of the Latter Day Saints in Jackson County, Missouri. Around 1835, he married Olive Jane Gibbs Eames (1815-1902). That same year, Ellis went on a mission trip with Joseph Holbrook and Lyman Gibbs.
In 1837, Ellis and Olive moved to Haun's Mill in Livingston County, Missouri. They were part of a group of Latter-day Saint families living there. In 1838, a sad event called the Haun's Mill massacre happened, where anti-Latter-day Saint groups attacked the settlement. Ellis, Olive, and their four children all survived, though a bullet reportedly went through Ellis's coat. While living there, Ellis worked with Jacob Myers Jr. to run a grist mill, which is a mill that grinds grain into flour.
Ellis Eames later lived in Clay County, Missouri and Nauvoo, Illinois.
Life in Utah
Ellis Eames first planned to travel to Utah in 1847 with Brigham Young and other Mormon pioneers. However, he became ill and had to return to Winter Quarters, Nebraska. He eventually arrived in Utah by 1849.
By 1850, Ellis, Olive, and their children were living in Utah. Ellis married a second wife, Sarah Haskell, that year. The United States census listed him as a "fiddler." From 1851 to 1852, Ellis Eames served as the mayor of Provo.
Moving to California and Later Life
In 1854, Ellis Eames moved to San Bernardino, California. There, he became the district attorney, a lawyer who works for the government. In 1857, during the Utah War, many Latter-day Saints in California were asked to return to Utah Territory. Ellis and Olive decided to stay in San Bernardino, but Sarah and her children went back to Utah.
Ellis remained in touch with members of Brigham Young's group. Olive joined the Reorganization of the Church in 1864, and Ellis followed in 1870. In 1896, Olive wrote about the Haun's Mill Massacre, and her account was published in a church history book.
Ellis Eames is buried at Pioneer Memorial Cemetery in San Bernardino. In 1954, a photograph of Ellis Eames was found and added to Provo's collection of mayor photos.
