Mary Jane (Minnie) Ellet, 1861 - 1945

Mary Jane "Minnie" Ellet, a committed prohibitionist and defender of woman's rights, believed strongly in practicing the principles of her faith by helping people.

Born in a small farmhouse just outside Akron, Ohio, Ellet and her family were among the first settlers in the area. The Ellet family was so well known and respected in the community that in 1918, the town of Ellet was named in their honor.

Ellet began her life-long work of speaking against alcohol at the age of 13, when she joined a group of churchwomen outside a local saloon during the Temperance Crusade of 1874. In quiet protest, the women had gathered to sing and pray.

Because of her strong convictions that alcohol was harmful and because she was a talented and gifted orator, Ellet was in demand as a speaker all over the nation. She committed to memory and often recited a 1,000-word poem entitled, "Poor House Nan" to her audiences and it is said that there was not a dry eye in the house when she finished.

So strong were her convictions about right and wrong, Ellet often acted even if she knew she would be criticized for her stand. Once, when an advertising company refused to remove a bulletin board from her property after she had repeatedly asked them, she took an axe and brought it down herself.

Ellet did not limit her work to prohibition or woman's rights, but often made quilts for the needy and distributed Bibles to people, including graduating seniors at Ellet High School.

Never marrying, Ellet worked as a correspondent for the Beacon Journal and was their oldest and most beloved reporter. She wrote numerous letters to the editor in favor of woman's rights. In her obituary on September 18, 1945, the Beacon Journal reported that she was the voice for "the cause that lacked assistance and the wrongs that need resistance."

Photo courtesy of the Beacon Journal.

--Penny Fox