Overton Asa Ellison

I’ve been busy posting several new pages about my great grandfather, Overton Asa Ellison. He seemed to be quite a character. He worked as a farmer, but he was one who loved to retell historical accounts and orate poems. When he was the auctioneer for boxed lunch socials, some said he missed his calling. He was called “Judge,” but never was one. A cousin thought he looked like a judge, nicknamed him, and the nickname stuck. He liked to drink milk with cream, but trusted very few to make the drink, and he wouldn’t drink it unless he witnessed the cream being poured in the glass.

Many years ago my mother, Marjorie Zinn Beems, wrote an article about him and his family. I’m including it here as a way of introduction to Overton Asa Ellison.

I live in Topeka on a street where there is a sign indicating the Oregon Trail meandered by here over a century ago. For me this has special significance. The fact that I have always lived in Kansas could be attribute to a twist of fate that kept my grandfather from going on the Oregon Trail.

In the “Life History of Overton A. Ellison” as related by my grandfather to a grand-daughter, he states, ” In the spring of 1865, his parents (Larking and Nancy Ellison) decided to emigrate to Oregon and on the 16th of May they started from Atchison.” The Oregon Trail was a well-established route by then with some of the dangers and challenges eliminated that had been in existence in the year of its origin, 1843.

That year, 1843, was also the year Overton Asa Ellison was born. In 1865 he was a young man of 22 who had traveled the Santa Fe Trail from Ft. Leavenworth to Ft. Union as a government “bull whacker” and had served in the Kansas Militia. Then, along with his parents and seven siblings he was headed to Oregon.

They started, he continued, “with a light wagon and team of fine mares for the family and two heavy wagons with two yoke of oxen and one of cows which belonged to Overton and had provisions for six months. They went as far as A.D. Simmons in Grasshopper Township (a friend’s farm in western Atchison County) that evening. There they joined twelve to fifteen other families and were to start early the next morning, May 17.”

“That night was a sleepless one for at least some of the party and by morning it was rumored that there might be an extra passenger as the young man Overton and little Miss Anna Simmons were going to be married and that he might take his bride along. But her parents seemed to want something to say in the matter so inquired of the young man and learned of his intentions but altered them somewhat by saying, they could have their consent to be married, but not to go to Oregon that day, for if the Ellison’s got there all right and liked the country he (A.D. Simmons) would sell out the following spring and take them and go too. So Overton decided to stay but let them take his equipment and the rest stayed as scheduled.”

His father started without an experienced bull whacker. The next oldest son was only twelve years old. Did he and the older sisters have to share Overton’s responsibilities? The other son, not yet three years old, died in September while en route. His mother made a stark recording of the date of death in the family bible with no details given. The oldest sister was married with 3 step-children. She gave birth to a son on the westward journey. He did not survive. Two unmarked graves along the trail were left by this family. They were en route six months before settling in Yamhill County, Oregon, southwest of Portland.

Overton and Anna, who had just turned 15, were married the 25th of May. He recalled, “the Civil War ended in June and this altered conditions so his father-in-law decided not to go to Oregon. Overton, not having anything or any one to go with therefore remained in Kansas.” He did not see any of his family for 28 years at which time he made a visit to Oregon. A sister born in Oregon was a 26-year-old widow with three children when he first saw her.

To learn more about Overton, click here. A photo gallery of family photos has also been posted. If you have any photos or other information, that I could add to the gallery or pages, I would be so happy to add them to this site.