Ellsworth was originally founded in 1871.  It included 40 acres of land donated by three men. Ten acres was given by Jonathan Cheney, father of Mrs. John Dawson, 10 acres by A.B. Ives of Bloomington and 20 acres by Oliver Ellsworth.  They wanted to name it Cheney but since there was already a town in Illinois by that name, they named it Ellsworth since Mr. Ellsworth was the largest land contributor to it.