ALTAMONT TOWN HISTORY
Charles Everett Ellis 1887-1971
A black barber in Altamont, who lost his home at the height of the Depression, sent his family to live in Alton with his wife’s relatives, but continued to live and work from his shop. He finally gave it all up in 1933, leaving his home town, hitch hiking to Arizona, where he found work in a resort hotel and did red capping at the train station. He sent for his family, and in the forty’s they moved to California, where he eventually become a merchant seaman.
Unknown to his family, he began keeping a diary in 1927, six years before he left here, and until just before he passed away in 1971, at age 84. This 44 year writing was in six huge volumes, and over 2600 pages, a record of his profound thoughts and daily happenings. Now PBS will film an hour long documentary of this true story of one black man’s journey in America, from the 1920’ through the 1970’s.
In his diaries, Ellis wrote about his quest for knowledge, faith, about his family, and the challenges of the world around him. His vast reading interests led him to be one of the original subscribers to the establishment of the Altamont Public Library, where he read every book they had on the shelves.
Three daughters survive, all in California, and two will be coming back on July 31 to revisit where they were born and lived. One was about 11 when leaving Altamont, and the other not yet one year old. Four siblings have passed away. Several Ellis family members are interred in Union cemetery. They were very active in the Altamont First Methodist Church, where two stained glass windows bear the names of the father and an uncle. The two daughters, and five granddaughters, will be present while Outpost Worldwide films the documentary. Adrienne, the older daughter, has written 12 romance novels. Altamont will have a lot of TV exposure from this rare opportunity to honor former residents, and recall a businessman. Four Ellis men were barbers in Altamont during the course of our history.