Dr. Jeremiah Stanton Ellis
Compiled by Carolyn Ellis from The History of Dent County by William P. Elmer, Ozark Heritage, Dent County Vols. l and II and a vivid imagination.

Medical schools were all over during the Civil War and licensing boards had not been established. Young men wanting to become doctors only needed to attend, at a minimum, three terms of 13 weeks each of medical school. The good medical schools were at the established colleges such as Princeton and Yale but the program was only 1 year, although 2 years was recommended. The average medical student trained for less than two years and received practically no clinical experience, and was given very little laboratory instructions.

It is not known if Jeremiah Stanton Ellis attended medical school before or after the Civil War. Perhaps the best conclusion would be after the Civil War since he served the Union Army as a hospital steward. W. P. Elmer's book The History of Dent County states that he graduated from a medical school in Kentucky. I have contacted several colleges but have found nothing. But, as mentioned earlier, there were many medical schools, most of which have closed.

In 1867 Dr. Ellis, his wife, Sarah, and their two children, Lindsey and Martha, left Kentucky and headed West. They packed all their belongings into a two-ox, two-wheel cart and began the long journey along the White River Trace. After a four-week trek along the trail the family arrived in Dent County.

While camped north of Salem Dr. Ellis met Dr. Pontillius Butts who approached him about staying in the area. Dr. Butts had just recently married and wanted some assistance with his practice so he would be able to spend more time with his bride and establish his home. But, Dr. Ellis had his heart set on going further West and declined the offer. As fate would have it, a man became very ill with typhoid fever and Dr. Ellis was called in to treat him. The man recovered and the news of his recovery spread throughout the community helping to establish Dr. Ellis' reputation as a medical healer. As a result of his new found fame Dr. Ellis decided to remain in Dent County.

As his reputation spread Dr. Ellis soon had more practice than he could handle. The life of the early doctor was hard. Rain, sleet, snow, cold and heat never kept them from answering the call of the sick. There was an urge of duty that had to be met. He rode horseback, both day and night, over the rough hills where there were no roads and hardly a trail to tend to the ill. He was a man of 225 pounds and of medium height and it took a good horse to stand the heavy travel. Often times Dr. Ellis would ride home sound asleep on his faithful horse.

When the Sligo Furnace was built in 1881 Dr. Ellis was selected as the first company doctor. He had a small office built on the grounds and his new position plus a salary enabled him to live somewhat easier. His pay was $1.50 per month assessed against each company worker. This fee provided free medical treatment for the worker and his family but did not include medicine.

Dr. A. H. Love, a graduate of Ann Arbor, Michigan Medical School (which, at that time, was recognized as the leading medical school in the United States) was an understudy of Dr. Ellis. At that time young medical graduates were required to understudy before beginning their practice. Dr. Love gained much practical knowledge of medicine by accompanying Dr. Ellis on calls throughout the community.

Dr. Love had great admiration for Dr. Ellis and would often tell of Dr. Ellis' humorous and witty remarks and stories. One such incident occurred when a young married man called for the services of Dr. Ellis to care for his new wife. The man was in a state of confusion when he found that his wife had just give birth to a baby three months after their marriage. Dr. Ellis put his arm around the young man's shoulder and said, "That happens often, Manny. But it's always nine months till the next one."

The hard life of being an Army hospital steward and having a pioneer medical practice took its toll on Dr. Ellis and he passed away at the early age of 54 in 1888. Like many of the early settlers Dr. Ellis established a cemetery on his farm. He and his two wives and several of their children and grandchildren are buried in the Ellis Family Cemetery at Fishwater.

It's been told that Dr. Ellis had found enough human bones in the Mint Springs Cave to construct a skeleton for his study of anatomy. His son Elbert said there was no truth in this and as far as he knew his father never had a skeleton. All of Dr. Ellis' medical books, with the exception of one, his medical instruments and saddlebags were lost when his son Elbert's home was destroyed by fire. The remaining medical book is in the possession of Dr. Ellis' Great Granddaughter. Beverly Wilson. It's interesting to note that the rubber-stamped name in the medical book is "Dr. J. S. Elis."

Dr. Ellis first settled on the Jim Asher farm near Short Bend and later traded a horse for 126 acres of land in Fishwater Community. This parcel of land became his home.

Dr. Ellis was the son of Lindsey and Rosa Smalley Ellis of Tennessee. He married Sarah Capps and their children were Lindsey, Ed, Martha, Mahalia, Ernestine and twin sons who died in infancy. Sarah Capps Ellis died in 1881 and Dr. Ellis married her cousin, Eliza Tinker (nee Capps) who had one son, William Tinker, by her first husband, Henry Tinker. Dr. Ellis and Eliza had three children, Stephen Elbert, Rosa and Nora.