BIO: Ely - Gallatin Co

History of Pike and Dubois Counties, Indiana
Chicago:  Goodspeed Bros. & Co., Publishers, 1885

Pike County, Washington Township, page 392

EUGENE A. ELY, attorney at law of Petersburg, Ind. was born in Warsaw,
Gallatin Co., Ky., October 21, 1847, and is one of six children born to
the marriage of John E. Ely and Elizabeth Hatfield, natives of Cincinnati,
Ohio, and Louisville, Ky., respectively.  The father, who was a physician
by profession, removed from Kentucky to Spencer County, Ind., in 1864,
where he practiced his profession until his death, June 22, 1885.  The
mother died in Kentucky in 1863.  Our subject followed the life of a farmer
from the age of ten to eighteen years, and in the meantime prepared himself
for teaching, which profession he followed in Kentucky until 1868, when he
came to Spencer County, Ind., and taught school until 1871.  While teaching
he was an energetic student of Blackstone, and in 1871 was admitted to the
Pike County bar and practiced law in that county until September, 1873.  He
then came to Petersburg and established a good and paying practice.  At 
different times he was in partnership with G.G. Reily, Levi Ferguson, C.H.
Burton and lastly, with W.F. Townsend and Martin Fleener.  They are now
together and may be said to control the leading practice in the town and
county.  April 7, 1869, Mr. Ely married Rhoda M. Frank, a native of
Spencer County.  They have three sons:  Horace, Harry and Frank.  Mr. Ely's
political views are democratic.  He is a member of the Masonic and I.O.O.F. 
fraternities.  He and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, and he is 
one of Pike County's most successful practitioners.  He was nominated on
the Democratic ticket for judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in 1884,
but was defeated by a very small majority.

From: "Phyllis Hill" 
<phill@redrock.net>
Date: Wed, 20 May 1998