Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

isterial service, was in that territory as a
Methodist circuit rider. Soon after his
mother's death, young Elwood S. was
brought east by his father, who thereafter
was, during his long and noteworthy
church service, in New England charges.
The Rev. Walter Ela died in 191 5, at
Pascoag, Rhode Island.
Elwood Starr Ela was educated at Wilbraham
Academy and at Wesleyan University.
His inclination was literary, and
while still in college he began regular
newspaper work. At the age of twenty-
one he, with another young man, established
the Decatur (Illinois) "Morning
Herald." The venture was successful,
but the young editor's fondness for New
England led him a year later to sell his
interest in the Decatur daily and return
to Connecticut. At Manchester, Connecticut,
Mr. Ela founded the "Manchester
Herald," the first issue of which appeared
in December, 1881. At the outset the
paper was a weekly, but in October, 1893,
it was made semi-weekly, and in October,
1914, it became a daily. Those who have
any knowledge of newspaper work know
that the early years of the existence of a
journal are years in which the qualities
of the publisher are tested to the utmost,
and a successful newspaper editor-founder
has definitely graduated in some of the
finest qualities in man-aggressiveness,
persistence, optimism, and intelligent,
alert enterprise. Mr. Ela has controlled
the editorial policy of his journal from its
first issue, and his writings have done
much to mould public opinion in the section
of Connecticut in which the "Man-
chester Herald" circulates. Mr. Ela also
comes to some extent into the business
circles of Hartford, being vice-president
of the Plimpton Manufacturing Com-
pany, of which corporation he has for ten
years been a director. And, as might
have been expected, Mr. Ela has been
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
213
prominently identified with most public
movements in his district. He has worked
enthusiastically and unceasingly to further
any project that, in his judgment
would tend to advance the interests of
his adopted town, and his active advocacy
of progressive measures must have
appreciably aided the growth of Man-
chester from a town of 6,000 people, as it
was when he first entered it, to a thriving,
up-to-date community of 20,000 popula-
tion. Mr. Ela is an ex-president of the
Manchester Chamber of Commerce ; in
1916 he was elected to the Board of Se-
lectmen.
Mr. Ela is associated with many State
organizations ; professionally he was a
member of the Connecticut Editorial As-
sociation, in fact he was active in its for-
mation, and his professional standing in
the State is indicated by his official con-
nection with that association—he was its
president for two years, and was for four-
teen years its secretary and treasurer;
fraternally a Mason, member of Manchester
Lodge, and an Odd Fellow, connected
with King David Lodge ; politically a
Republican; and socially a member of
the Hartford Club and the Transporta-
tion Club of New York. In collegiate
association he is a member of the board
of trustees of Wilbraham Academy, has
been a member of its executive board for
five years, and belongs to the Delta Kappa
Epsilon fraternity. Religiously Mr. Ela
is connected with the Congregational
church of Manchester.
A noteworthy achievement of Mr. Ela
was his writing and publication of the
work, "The Miracle Workers," a comprehensive
brochure, descriptive of one
of the important industries of Connecti-
cut, that of silk manufacture. Mr. Ela
spent more than a year in the preparation
of the volume, which was translated into
Italian, German, French and Swedish,