John Elliott was born March 19, 1856 in Longford County, Ireland to Thomas and Elizabeth Elliott. John was 22 years old when he emigrated to the United States, coming first to New York, then to Canada, and then to Rosemount, Minnesota where he stayed with the Ennis Family who had come from Cavan County, Ireland in 1855.
In October of 1881, John Elliott came to the "far west" and filed on a homestead and tree claim in Township 138, R61 which is now the farm home of the Harry Gussas family in Meadow Lake Township. The following year he returned to Rosemount to wed, on November 11, 1882, Matilda Frances Ennis who had been born in Dakota County on May 19, 1858 to William and Mary Ann Ennis three years after her parents had come from Ireland. After spending the winter near his wife's parents in Minnesota, he came back to Barnes County where he continued to break sod. Later in the spring, John met his bride at the train in Sanborn and brought her to her new home with his wagon and oxen. Oxen were used until he obtained his first horses in 1885.'
John was followed to this country by his brothers William and George and they, too, homesteaded in Barnes County in the late 1880s. George later returned to Minnesota and married Matilda's sister, Mary. They made their home in Rosemount. William returned to Ireland in 1907 to bring Mary Jane Scanlon back as his bride. They resided on what is now the Floyd Radke farm until his death in 1933. A fourth brother, James, emigrated to New Zealand. With one brother remaining in Ireland a family saying has been, "The sun never sets on the Elliotts."
John and Matilda had three children. William Robert born September 12, 1883, Elizabeth born March 26, 1885 and Mary Ann born April 29, 1887. Mr. Elliott was a school officer in his district for half a century and was also active in politics, community affairs, and especially the church and Sunday school.
Mrs. Elliott died in 1900, and daughter, Elizabeth, died in 1907. William Elliott married Sarah Whitson on October 10, 1917. She had come with her parents from Muncie, Indiana in 1909 to live near Marion. Their four children were born while the family lived not far from the original homestead. Margaret Oleen was born August 30, 1918 and is now Mrs. Harry Miedema, living on a farm near Eckelson. Helen Delores was born February 21, 1920, and is now Mrs. Clarence Whitney, and lives in Jamestown. John Irvin Elliott was born November 29, 1923, and is an aeronautical engineer living in Wichita, Kansas. Robert William was born June 19, 1927, and is a telephone supervisor living in Ridgecrest, California.
William Elliott died in 1939 and his widow, Sarah, lives in Victorville, California. Mary lived on the homestead and kept house for her father after the death of her mother and sister, until his death in 1940. She remained in the area with her husband, Elbert Whitney, until her death in 1965.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 62