Albert Gallatin Ellis (August 24, 1800December 23, 1885) was one of the first American pioneers to settle in

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. He was the 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 10th Mayor of

Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point is a city in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 25,666 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It forms the core of the Stevens Point micropolitan statistical area, which had a p ...

. Before statehood, he was a member of the legislature of the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belm ...

and was a publisher of the first newspaper west of

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

Biography

Ellis was born in

Verona, New York Verona (called ''Te-o-na-ta-le'', "''pine forest''" by the Haudenosaunee The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenos ...

, on August 24, 1800. An

Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

, Ellis moved to Green Bay,

, with members of the

Oneida people The Oneida people ( ; wikt:autonym, autonym: Onʌyoteˀa·ká·, Onyota'a:ka, ''the People of the Upright Stone, or standing stone'', ''Thwahrù·nęʼ'' in Tuscarora language, Tuscarora) are a Native Americans in the United States, Native Ameri ...

to establish a colony and a school. He later became involved in the

Public Land Survey System The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling. Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 17 ...

before becoming a publisher of the '' Green Bay Intelligencer'' in 1834, the first newspaper west of

. In 1852, Ellis moved to

, where he worked with the

United States General Land Office The General Land Office (GLO) was an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government responsible for Public domain (land), public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 ...

and became a surveyor general, as well as once again became a newspaper publisher, eventually becoming an editor. Ellis died on December 23, 1885. Two of his sons, Eleazor H. Ellis and Frederick S. Ellis, became mayors of Green Bay.

Political career

Ellis served as secretary to the

Seventh Michigan Territorial Council The Seventh Michigan Territorial Council, also known as the Rump Council, was a meeting of the legislative body governing Michigan Territory in January 1836, during the term of Acting Governor John S. Horner. At the time, most of Michigan Ter ...

for the western area of

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit ...

. In 1836 and again from 1841 to 1844, Ellis was a member of the Wisconsin Territorial House of Representatives of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature. After Wisconsin's admission to the Union, Ellis served as Mayor of Stevens Point. He was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

.'Proceedings of the Wisconsin Historical Society at its Sixth-eight Annual Meeting,' Vol. 68, October 21, 1920, The Rump Council, Biographical Sketch of Albert Gallatin Ellis, pg. 150-151

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Albert People from Verona, New York Politicians from Green Bay, Wisconsin People from Stevens Point, Wisconsin Members of the Michigan Territorial Legislature Members of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature Wisconsin Democrats Editors of Wisconsin newspapers American newspaper publishers (people) American Anglican missionaries 1800 births 1885 deaths Anglican missionaries in the United States 19th-century American journalists American male journalists 19th-century American male writers Writers from Green Bay, Wisconsin 19th-century American Episcopalians 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century mayors of places in Wisconsin