James Clarence Ellsworth was born on May 26, 1885 in Luna Valley, New Mexico. He was the son of James Henry and Eliza R. McCleve Ellsworth.
He served his mission in Australia for two years after he had married his wife, Julia Claridge. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 12, 1907. James went on his mission between 1908-1910. James and Julia had five sons: James Claridge, Elmo Hughes, Spencer David, Samuel George, and Theron Charles Claridge.
His first employment was an oiler and a sweeper in a flour mill. Later in his life he was town clerk under Mayor George P. Jacobson for four years in Safford, Arizona. He was also the Mayor of Payson, the first Republican Mayor in more than 25 years.
Throughout his life he lived in many different places including: Salt Lake City, Payson, Ogden, Logan in Utah. He also lived in Henderson, Nevada; Chino, San Marino and Long Beach in California; Gila Valley in Arizona, and Kansas City in Missouri.
On May 29, 1953, Julia Ellsworth died in a fatal car accident in which James Ellsworth was also seriously injured. He recovered and later passed away on March 7, 1970 at his son’s (Dr. T.C. Ellsworth) home, in San Marino, California.
Provenance:
This collection was donated to Special Collections and Archives by Samuel George Ellsworth on August 19, 1998.
Samuel George Ellsworth was the second son of James Clarence Ellsworth. These papers were collected by S. George Ellsworth
in an attempt to preserve his family’s history.
Scope and Content Note:
Correspondence, documents, scrapbooks, journals, diaries, work-related documents, notebooks, genealogy, programs, writings, artifacts, newspaper clippings, greeting cards, and memorabilia (1900-1994).
The collection is split into seven series of papers pertaining to individuals in the James Clarence Ellsworth family including James and his wife Julia Claridge and his sons: James Claridge, Elmo Hughes, Spencer David, and Theron Charles Claridge. The papers of Samuel George Ellsworth are not included in this collection. They can be found in Manuscript Collection #228. Each series includes personal documents, correspondence, and mementoes of each individual.
Series Listing:
I. James Clarence Ellsworth. Boxes 1-7
II. James Clarence and Julia Claridge Ellsworth Correspondence. Boxes 8-10
III. Julia Claridge Ellsworth. Boxes 11-18
IV. James Claridge Ellsworth. Boxes 19-21
V. Elmo Hughes Ellsworth. Boxes 22-23
VI. Spencer David Ellsworth. Box 24
VII. Theron Charles Claridge Ellsworth. Boxes 25-26
Inventory:
Series I: James Clarence Ellsworth
Box 1. Personal Information and Correspondence
Fd 1 George’s register of James C. Ellsworth Family Papers and notes
Fd 2 Genealogy and Biographical information on James C. Ellsworth and James Henry Ellsworth
Fd 3 Autobiographical Dictation: 1 August 1952
Fd 4 Dictation15 May 1959: Mission to Australia
Fd 5 Autobiographical Dictations
Fd 6 Letters sent 1905-1906 to Julia Eliza Claridge
Fd 7 Letters sent 1907 to Julia
Fd 8 Letters sent 1908 to Julia
Fd 9 Letters sent 1909-1910 to Julia
Fd 10 Letters sent 1911-1924 to Julia
Fd 11 Letters sent 1925-1930 to Julia
Fd 12 Letters sent 1925-1930 to his sons
Fd 13 Letters sent 1931-1935
Fd 14 Letters sent 1936-1942
Fd 15 Letters sent 1943-1947
Box 2. Correspondence
Fd 1 Letters sent 1950-1953
Fd 2 Letters sent 1954
Fd 3 Letters sent 1955-1956
Fd 4 Letters sent 1957
Fd 5 Letters sent 1958-1959
Fd 6 Letters sent 1960-1961
Fd 7 Letters sent 1962-1970
Fd 8 Questions
Box 3. Mission
Fd 1 Mission Day Book and scrapbook
Fd 2 Photocopied day book pp. 1-175
Fd 3 Photocopied day book pp. 176-285
Fd 4 Photocopied day book pp. 286-380 plus newspaper clippings
Fd 5 Mission Journal
Fd 6 Mission notebook “Josephite Arguments”
Box 4. Financial Records, Ex-cel-sis, and Church notes
Fd 1 Family and Temple Record
Fd 2 Bank and other financial documents
Fd 3 Ex-cel-sis Cosmetics Sales Manual with church notes at the end
Fd 4 Ex-cel-sis Cosmetics Journal with MIA Activity notes at the end
Fd 5 Ex-cel-sis Cosmetics Salesman Techniques
Fd 6 Ex-cel-sis selling materials
Fd 7 Ex-cel-sis Miscellaneous notebooks (4)
Fd 8 Church notes and guidelines
Fd 9 Church notebook: reports, lessons, notes 1950-1956
Fd 10 Notebook: miscellaneous items 1960-1970
Box 5. Books
Fd 1 Bk 1 The Book of Mormon 1906
Fd 2 Bk 2 Dickson Bible1923
Fd 3 Bk 3 The Book of Mormon/ Doctrine and Covenants/ Pearl of Great Price 1953
Fd 4 Various Church Books:
Bk 4 Songs of Zion, Chicago 1908
Bk 5 Joseph the Prophet, 1891
Bk 6 Story of the Formation of the Book of Mormon Plates by Eldin Ricks
Box 6. Memorabilia and News clippings
Fd 1 Memorabilia
Fd 2 Memorabilia: Payson 1917-1924
Fd 3 Memorabilia: The Payson Chronicle 1917-1929: James Clarence Ellsworth and the Payson Bank Failure
Fd 4 Memorabilia: Long Beach 1926-1928
Fd 5 Memorabilia: Salt Lake City 1928-1931
Fd 6 Memorabilia: Kansas City 1931-1939
Fd 7 Memorabilia: Kansas City 1931-1939 Excelsis Beauty Products
For more information: 435/797-2663; Manuscript Librarian.
Special Collections & Archives, Merrill Library, Utah State University Libraries, Utah State University 84322-3000