An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. 1893

GEORGE A. ELLSPERMAN, County Clerk and Clerk of the Superior Court of San Juan
county, Washington, was born in Bethalto, Madison county, Illinois, September
21, 1865. Both of Mr. Ellsperman's parents were born in Bavaria, Germany, - his
father, Charles Ellsperman, in 1826, and his mother, nee Marie Smith, in 1829.
His father emigrated to this country in 1843 and remained a short time in New
York, thence moved to Columbus, Ohio, from where he went to Columbia, Illinois,
where he met his wife and where they were married, about, forty five years ago.
They were among the first settlers in Madison county, locating at Bethalto,
where the father was engaged in extensive cooperage business until the panic of
1873. They had five children, all with the exception of George A. still being
residents of Illinois. George A. attended the high school in Bethalto, and by
hard study passed through it at the age of fourteen, when he apprenticed himself
to learn the cooper trade in E.O. Standard & Company's shops, completing his
trade the following year, when his father died, his mother having died in 1871.
He followed his trade for various lengths of time in twenty-eight of the united
States and Territories, traveling extensively through the Northern, Western and
Southern States until 1888, when he permanently located in San Juan county,
Washington. His first employment here was with the Roche Harbor Lime Works, for
about eight months, after which he spent fourteen months at the San Juan Lime
Works, leaving the latter place to accept the position of foreman in the
cooperage department of the Eureka Lime Works, continuing as such nearly two
years, until the plant closed down. In the meantime he, pre-empted 160 acres on
San Juan island, and accumulated other valuable property, one piece being a fine
prune orchard and residence in the county seat, which he manages to look after
besides his clerk's duties. On January 2, 1892, Mr. Ellsperman severed his
connection with the lime business and entered the employ of the Islander
Printing and Publishing Company, and on March 1st formed a partnership with J.C.
Clinton and leased the Islander plant, and officiated as local editor of that
paper until he accepted the office of County Clerk and Clerk of the Superior
Court, to which office he was elected November 8, 1892, on the Democratic ticket
in a strong Republican county, receiving a majority of 129 votes out of 712. Mr.
Ellsperman fathered Mt. Dallas Lodge, No. 95, I.O.O.F., of Friday Harbor, and
became its first Noble Grand; was elected as delegate to the Grand Lodge at
Walla Walla in 1892, and to that at Olympia in 1893. He with several others were
instrumental in erecting the I.O.O.F. hall at Friday Harbor, it being the
largest and most imposing edifice in the place, and having a large and
commodious lodge room in the second story and a public ball and opera house on
the first floor. He is an enthusiastic member of the order, dating his
membership from the time he was twenty-one years old. He was married May 19,
1892, at New Whatcom, by Hon. Judge John R. Winn, to Eva Viola Cary, who was
born in Lawrence, Kansas, October 20, 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Ellsperman are members
of the Valley Presbyterian Church, and in their married life are blessed with
one child: Winnefred Louise, who was born July 11, 1893. Mr. Ellsperman is what
the world is proud to call a self-made man, being to this day studious,
temperate, and as a whole a typical American citizen. In June, 1893, he was
unanimously elected School Clerk of the Friday Harbor school district, and
enjoys the confidence of the citizens irrespective of party or politics.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.