Elias Disney
Encyclopedia
Elias Disney was the Canadian father of Roy Disney
and Walt Disney
.
, Canada
, to Irish
-born immigrant Kepple Elias Disney and Mary Richardson who was of English descent. He became a farmer and a businessman with little success. He moved to California
with his father in 1878 in hopes of finding gold
. Instead, Kepple was convinced by an agent of the Union Pacific Railroad
to buy 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land near Ellis
, Kansas
. Disney was an ardent socialist and a supporter of Eugene Debs.
), then he joined the railroad crew building the Union Pacific line through Colorado
. After the railroad contract was over, he became a professional fiddle
player in Denver
. Again he was unsuccessful, and he returned to his father's farm. He also worked for a short time as a mailman in Kissimmee
, Florida, close to the eventual site of Walt Disney World.
He was a construction worker for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
in Chicago, an event which author Erik Larson cites as a source of inspiration for his son Walt and the Disney kingdom he would eventually create.
on January 1, 1888, in Kismet, Florida, 50 miles from the land on which Walt Disney World would eventually be built and lived for a short time in adjoining Acron
, Florida
. She was the daughter of his father's neighbors.
Soon after marriage, the Disneys moved to Chicago, Illinois
, where Elias met and befriended Walter Parr
, St. Paul Congregational Church's preacher for whom the Disneys' fourth son, Walt, was named.
The couple had five children:
According to some sources, Disney worried about the rising criminality of the city. In 1906 he moved with his family to a farm near Marceline
, Missouri
. The family sold the farm in 1909 and lived in a rented house until 1911, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri
.
Roy O. Disney
Roy Oliver Disney was, with his younger brother, Walt Disney, the co-founder of what is now The Walt Disney Company.-Early life:...
and Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
.
Early life
Disney was born in the rural village of Bluevale, OntarioMorris-Turnberry, Ontario
The Municipality of Morris-Turnberry is a municipality in Huron County, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the north portion of Huron County, near the Bruce County border, southeast of Wingham....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, to Irish
Irish Canadian
Irish Canadian are immigrants and descendants of immigrants who originated in Ireland. 1.2 million Irish immigrants arrived, 1825 to 1970, at least half of those in the period from 1831-1850. By 1867, they were the second largest ethnic group , and comprised 24% of Canada's population...
-born immigrant Kepple Elias Disney and Mary Richardson who was of English descent. He became a farmer and a businessman with little success. He moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with his father in 1878 in hopes of finding gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
. Instead, Kepple was convinced by an agent of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
to buy 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land near Ellis
Ellis, Kansas
Ellis is a city in Ellis County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,062.- History :The Kansas Pacific Railway built a water station at the site of present-day Ellis in 1867 and then purchased the site under the Homestead Act. Three years later, in 1870, the U.S....
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. Disney was an ardent socialist and a supporter of Eugene Debs.
Career
Disney worked on his father's new farm until 1884, when he left to find another job. He was hired in a railroad machine shop (one of his co-workers was Walter ChryslerWalter Chrysler
Walter Percy Chrysler was an American machinist, railroad mechanic and manager, automotive industry executive, Freemason, and founder of the Chrysler Corporation.- Railroad career :...
), then he joined the railroad crew building the Union Pacific line through Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. After the railroad contract was over, he became a professional fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
player in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Again he was unsuccessful, and he returned to his father's farm. He also worked for a short time as a mailman in Kissimmee
Kissimmee
Kissimmee is the name of several things in the U.S. state of Florida:*Kissimmee, Florida *Kissimmee City Street Railway*Kissimmee Kreatures *Kissimmee Utility Authority...
, Florida, close to the eventual site of Walt Disney World.
He was a construction worker for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in Chicago, an event which author Erik Larson cites as a source of inspiration for his son Walt and the Disney kingdom he would eventually create.
Family
Disney married Flora CallFlora Call Disney
Flora Call Disney was the mother of Walt Disney and his brother Roy Disney.-Family:Call was born in Steuben, Ohio, the daughter of Henrietta , and Charles Call, who were neighbors of Kepple Disney, father of Elias Disney, her husband. Her family originated from Germany...
on January 1, 1888, in Kismet, Florida, 50 miles from the land on which Walt Disney World would eventually be built and lived for a short time in adjoining Acron
Acron, Florida
Acron [sic] was a town in eastern Lake County, Florida, established during the late 19th century, near Sorrento. It is best known as the town where Flora Call and Elias Disney, the parents of Walt Disney, lived for a short time after they were married in nearby Kismet on New Year's Day, 1888...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. She was the daughter of his father's neighbors.
Soon after marriage, the Disneys moved to Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, where Elias met and befriended Walter Parr
Walter Parr
Rev. Walter Robinson Parr was an English-born preacher and author.The son of Alexander and Matilda Parr, Walter Parr was born in Liverpool, England, and graduated from the Beloit Academy in 1891, from Beloit College in 1895 and from the Chicago Theological Seminary in 1898.He was ordained to the...
, St. Paul Congregational Church's preacher for whom the Disneys' fourth son, Walt, was named.
The couple had five children:
- Herbert Arthur Disney, born on October 10, 1888-January 29, 1961. (72)
- Raymond Arnold Disney, born on December 30, 1890-May 24, 1989. (98)
- Roy Oliver DisneyRoy O. DisneyRoy Oliver Disney was, with his younger brother, Walt Disney, the co-founder of what is now The Walt Disney Company.-Early life:...
, born on June 24, 1893-December 20, 1971. (78) - Walter "Walt" Elias DisneyWalt DisneyWalter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
, born on December 5, 1901-December 15, 1966. (65) - Ruth Flora Disney born on December 6, 1903-April 7, 1995. (91)
According to some sources, Disney worried about the rising criminality of the city. In 1906 he moved with his family to a farm near Marceline
Marceline, Missouri
Marceline is a city in Chariton and Linn Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 2,221 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1887 the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway began construction from Kansas City, Missouri to Chicago...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. The family sold the farm in 1909 and lived in a rented house until 1911, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
External links
- Biography of the Disney Family in Canada (documentary footage)