The Ellertons: Networking with Relatives in the 1920's

So, why did Kenneth and Louise Ellerton move to California in 1916-1917?

And, more specifically, why did they move to northern California?

And, then in 1921-23, why did they move to southern California?

Two words: Opportunity and Family.

Bear in mind: All of this is speculation.

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To be clear, we don’t know where the couple lived immediately prior to the move to the Bay Area.

[They married in Houston in September 1916.]

In an earlier posting entitled, “Kenneth Eugene Ellerton, 1879-1951,” you will recall passing reference to Kenneth’s cousins living in the area.

He had a lot of cousins whose families had lived in the region for quite some time and were, therefore, likely well connected.

Louisa and Harry Schwatka

In 1916-1917, Kenneth’s cousin, Harry Schwatka (1858-1944), lived in Emeryville, California, less than 7 miles from Alameda, where the Ellertons lived. The Schwatka family had come to northern Californnia by way of Oregon in the early 1860’s.

Guide to Kenneth’s cousins living in northern California, 1850-1930)

Nancy Dunn (1841-1911), Keneth Ellerton’s Mother and our great grandmother, had an older sister, Louisa (Louise) A Dunn (1825-1891). In 1849, she married Andrew Schwatka (1823-1898). Louisa and Andrew had five children: Gabriella (1851-1851) Owen (1852-1914) Harry (1858-1944) Minnie (1860-1929) Hugh (1865-1940)

Harry was twenty-one years older than Kenneth and had lived in the rea all of his life. In 1900, when he was 42 years old, the US Census lists his occupation is “Teamster,” in 1910 he was a “Wagon Driver at a lumberyard in Emeryville,” and in 1920 a “Night watchman” in Emeryville.

When Kenneth registered for the draft in 1918, his occupation was listed as “Railway Station Inspector.” In the 192 US Census, Kenneth’s occupation is “Shipping Clerk” in the warehouse industry. My guess is that Kenneth landed the job by ‘networking’ with Harry and, perhaps, other Schwatkas.

Harry Schwatka had children living in the area. They would have been young contemporaries of Kenneth:

Fred (1893-1975), who worked as a longshoreman and stevedore.

Julia (1896-1956), who married William Conradi, who, according to the 1920 US Census, worked for a steamship company in San Francisco.

Julia and James Thomas

Julia was another cousin living in the area. 

In 1870, Nancy Dunn’s younger sister, Julia Augusta (1846-1930) and Kenneth’s Aunt married James Thomas (1849-1924). In the 1910 US Census, James’ occupation was “Bookkeeper” for a plumbing company in San Mateo, just across the bay from Alameda. By the 1920 Census, he had retired but he and Julia still lived in San Mateo. 

All of this is intended to demonstrate that Kenneth and Louise were not on their own.

OK, so Kenneth and Louise have started a family and he is gainfully employed.

At some point between 1920 and 1923, the family moved to Pasadena, California.

I haven’t divined an explanation. 

A recession set in following World War I and lasted until July 1921. It was characterized by severe deflation, the largest one-year percentage decline in around 140 years of data.^[2] The Department of Commerce estimates 18% deflation, a stunning decline in demand for just about everything.

So, it is quite possible Kenneth had been laid off and was unemployed.

Remember, in 1921 he and Louise lost a daughter at childbirth.

For these and other reasons, the family relocated to southern California.

Were there family connections?


Yes. Augusta Gertrude Ellerton, Kenneth's older sister,  moved to Los Angeles from Denver in 1920-1922. In 1922 she was registered to vote at 5212 Pasadena Avenue, Pasadena. The same year, Kenneth was registered to vote at 958 Stevenson Avenue. Those addresses are about 7 miles apart. 

Not:e They both registered as Republicans.  

Augusta would return to Denver in the late 1920’s, but by 1935 she was back in Los Angeles. Louise would die in 1937.
Mabel Dunn (1870-1960), a cousin, also lived in Los Angeles.

In 1873, Mabel married Leroy Cheston Skeels (1868-1929). By 1910, by way of Washington state and Oregon, they lived in Antelope (Los Angeles County), California. In the 1920 US Census, the Skeels lived at 5962 Hayes Avenue, about 8 miles from the Stevenson/ Del Mar address the Ellertons would call home a short time later. (Same address for 1930 and 1940 Censuses).

The Skeels had a son and daughter living and working in the area in the 1920's and 1930's. 

Katherine Elarton

The most intriguing possibility is that Kenneth was in contact with a distant cousin in the Robert Elarton branch of the family.

An earlier posting, “Posting Migration of Two families: Tabb and Ellerton,” discusses the origins of the two families.

The patriarch of the Ellerton branch, William J Ellerton, had a son named Robert (1819-1903). He spelled his name ‘Elarton.’

Robert was born in Ohio and in the late 1850’s moved his family to Iowa, perhaps to be with his mother, Sarah, after William died in 1859. Robert then served in the Civil War from Iowa and finally settled in Kansas in the mid-1870’s.

One stem of this branch ended up in southern California by way of Missouri and Colorado. Following the death of her Father, John (1853-1917), Katherine Elarton (1894-1978), moved in with a brother named Ora. Katherine likely moved from Colorado to southern California shortly after Ora died in 1921. She married Harry Cole (1897-1953) in Riverside, California in 1923.

The point is that she may settled in Los Angeles at about the time Kenneth and Louise were planning their next move.

In 1920, Harry, who was living in Compton California, listed his occupation as “Switchman” for a steam railroad and in 1930, a “Checker” Shell Oil, 1940 “Warehouse[man]” at an oil refinery.