Jacksonville in Morgan County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Rev. John M. Ellis
Born July 14. 1793. Died Aug. 16. 1855.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 22, 2025
1. Rev. John M. Ellis Marker
First pastor of the
1st. Presbyterian Church.
Founder of the Jacksonville Female Academy
who with his wife Frances C. Ellis, opened
the school in the Spring of 1829 in his own
house, untill the Spring of 1833, secured
the ground as a gift from which the
building now stands.
In memory of the Rev. John M. Ellis,
who in 1828 purchased 80 acres since
known as College Hill. Drove the stakes
and contracted for the south half of the
chapel building, designing not only a
college but a university.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Education • Religion & Religious Structures • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1829.
Location. 39° 42.624′ N, 90° 15.125′ W. Marker is in Jacksonville, Illinois, in Morgan County. It can be reached from South Lincoln Avenue. Monument is in Diamond Grove Cemetery Section K. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1601 South Lincoln Avenue, Jacksonville IL 62650, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Greater Illinois School for the Deaf Family (a few steps from this marker); Elihu Wolcott (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rev. W. H. Milburn
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Jacksonville Female Academy (later Illinois College) Digital Collection. (Submitted on October 28, 2025, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Illinois College: Our History. (Submitted on October 28, 2025, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 22, 2025
2. Rev. John M. Ellis Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 22, 2025
3. Rev. John M. Ellis Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 22, 2025
4. Rev. John M. Ellis Monument
Credits. This page was last revised on October 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 28, 2025, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 45 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 28, 2025, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
