Harry Ellsworth
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Story of Harry and Margaret Ann after their marriage.
Harry continued making a living farming and working with cattle. Their first child, Lloyd H. Ellsworth, was born in Ann's mother's home in Pinetop. Harry moved his family from the hotel to the Ellsworth Ranch between Show Low and Pinetop. In the mean time, he was building them a home (two rooms with two lean-to rooms) in Show Low. (The house was located in back of the present-day Nick Store.) Harry would go out in the morning and get a load of lumber then build the house during his spare time in the day. It was considered a very neat, well-built house. Five children were born here: Lillie, Edmund William, Ella May, Clarence Ronald.
The home was sold to Rob Jacobson. The money was used to buy Wolf Field (located about 3/4 miles from the City Jail on the left-hand side of the Heber Road). Harry had built a two room house for the living room and kitchen and a big round tent for all the family to sleep in. The family came to Mesa to live one winter. It took them 12 days to come down in buggy and wagons. Nola Pearl was born while they were in Mesa. The family moved back into Show Low again (living east of Nick's Grocery Store on the main highway). Harry managed the Savage Store for Charles Savage, his brother-in-law. Charlie sold the store. Harry then sold Wolf Field and all of his stock and bought 40 acres in Mesa. An old adobe house was on the property; but as soon as possible, a four-bedroom home was built. (The property is located in the 800 block of North Mesa Drive on the east side of the road just south of the Canal.) Porter City Park is where the old Dr. Chandler home was located. The new home Harry built is the second house south of the park (in 1997). A number of Show Low families moved to the Salt River Valley at this time. They thought they could earn a better living in the valley. Farmers were getting $1.00 a pound for cotton that year. The move was made in November 1917. Annie and the girls were taken to Holbrook and put on the train to Phoenix. Harry and the boys came down in a "Maxwell" car on the old Bumble Bee Road (Payson route). In the summer of 1918, Dora Elaine was born. Harry worked farm-rented land throughout the valley. When the depression came to the United States, many farmers in the valley lost their land. Harry worked for the Valley National Bank during this depression as a field advisor Annie and Harry were sealed in the Arizona Temple on November 21, 1927. (The temple was dedicated October 1927.) After receiving their endowments, they were temple workers for two years. Annie was a very generous and patient wife, mother, and grandmother. She loved her husband dearly and always depended on his word and guidance. She died the 24th of January, 1954. There was never a father that loved his family more than Harry loved his. Death came on the 25th of July 1949. The life stories of Margaret Ann Hall and Harry Ellsworth were told by Vida Hall Ellsworth, a younger sister to Ann. Vida lived with Harry and Annie for a number of years after they were married.
The life stories were written by Alice Jo Cluff Ellsworth, wife to Ann and Harry's first grandchild. Told and written February 1960. It was later reedited and published for the extended family in 1997. Remembrances by Reed Ellsworth (grandson)
Grandpa was always good to me. He started taking me with him when I was about one year old. (Reed was the first grandchild.)
He was a great one for having family outings. Many times at Easter, we would go out to Twin Knowles (east of Mesa) and have Dutch oven biscuits, steaks, soda pop, and fruit salad. Mama (Ruth) always made the fruit salad for the Ellsworth parties. They were first-class picnics. He had a deep love for the church. Example: The 80 acres just south of Grandpa's place on Mesa Drive went up for sale and he bought it. At a later time, the Church was looking for welfare farms. Dad wanted to buy it from Grandpa, but the Church also wanted it. Grandpa sold it to the Church and did not make a penny on the sale. (It was worth a lot more than he sold it for.) In the year 1946, Dad took me to Show Low. Grandpa and Grandma Ellsworth, Uncle Ed, and Uncle Ron drove up to Show Low also. It was the first Show Low Rodeo after World War II. Grandpa took me over near where the Show Low airport is today (1997) and told me that is where they camped the first night when they arrived in Show Low in 1880. Grandpa was three years old and riding a big horse. The grass was so tall that his feet touched the grass. |