The founding of Ellis, Kansas
In the fall of 1867, the Kansas Pacific Railroad had laid tracks to this area and established a water station at present day Ellis. Three years later a post office was opened on June 27, 1870. The Kansas Pacific Railroad laid out the basic plots of land to establish a town in 1873 and a depot, hotel and a few shops were the first buildings to be built. A school was also built that year, and in 1874 the first church was organized and built. More settlers from New York, Pennsylvania and Kentucky arrived to work for the railroad and soon the small town became a bustling place. For nearly 5 years, beginning in 1875, Ellis became a shipping point for cattle herds, that were driven up from the south. On January 10, 1888, the city of Ellis was officially incorporated.
In 1886, a group of German immigrants arrived in Ellis, from Europe. The area they came from was called Bukovina. Although Bukovina is no longer a national province or district of Austria, the area is currently part of Romania and Ukraine. From 1775 to 1918, Bukovina existed at the easternmost crown land of the Austrian Empire. With the Treaty of Constantinople in 1775, the control of this area was assigned to the Austrian Empire. The land was very sparsely populated and the Austrian emperors were eager to encourage immigration and development of this land on the eastern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains. Many different ethnic groups colonized this region, including groups who migrated from Germany to Bukovina in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. After several generations of living in Bukovina, land became scarce and many of the German immigrants came to the United States as well as Canada and South America. After the first group of Bukovina Germans arrived in Ellis in 1886, a larger group settled here in 1887.
Big Creek winds through the community which provides scenic areas along the creek at several parks. Ellis has five parks, three museums (Walter P. Chrysler Boyhood Home, Railroad Museum and Bukovina Museum), several ball diamonds, outdoor basketball courts and a nine hole grass green golf course. An RV campground is along the banks of the Riverside Campground and Creekside Park features a frisbee golf course, horseshoe pits, ball fields and playground equipment. Several fishing piers/boat docks dot the banks of Big Creek.
For information on the attractions and points of interest in Ellis, visit the City of Ellis website or contact the Ellis Chamber of Commerce. (ellischamber@eaglecom.net - 785-726-2660)
Incorporated- Jan 10, 1888
Population - 1952
Elevation - 2,119 feet
City of Ellis
815 Jefferson
Ellis, KS 67637
785-726-4812
www.ellis.ks.us
Ellis Chamber of Commerce
820 Washington
Ellis, KS 67637
785-726-2660
www.ellischamberofcommerce.com
Links
Blue Skyways
Ellis on GenWeb
Ellis - Hometown Locator
Ellis - Best Places
Ellis - Wikipedia
Ellis - Gen Info
Ellis – Places & Names
Walter P. Chrysler Boyhood Home
Bukovina Society of the Americas Museum
Ellis Railroad Musuem
Ellis Railroad Musuem - Union Pacific Caboose
Ellis Railroad Musuem
Ellis Railroad Musuem
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
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