James R. Ellis

James R. Ellis was born in Kent County, Maryland in 1735. He later moved to what was Rutherford County (now Cleveland County) in North Carolina and had eleven children there. He owned as much as 400 acres between Shelby and Buffalo Creek, down to nearly the border of South Carolina. He died on 06/23/1828 and was buried in the family cemetery near the Ellis Ferry House, south of the Broad River.

Descendants of the family of James Ellis and Margaret Peggy Hopper operated a ferry across the Broad River between Shelby and Gaffney, South Carolina.

A large two-story white frame house, known as the "Ellis House", and later as the "Gramling House" was built just across the river, and was used as a stop-over for river and stage coach travelers.

The house is still standing and is on the historical register.