Tracing Ella Selsic: Beyond the Census Records
For years, the identity of Ella Selsic felt like a shadow in the records. Was she also Ellen? Was she a Depoe? Was Frank the same man as Chief En-sal-sun? This post tracks the process of finally connecting the pieces.
Who is Ella Selsic?
She was the daughter of "Old Joshua" who was Chemetunne (Joshua) and an unknown mother who was Yukichetunne (Euchre).
Who was Ella married to?
Ella Selsic was married to Ensalsun Selsic. En-sal-sun (spelled as En-sal-sun in the official historical texts) was a Native American chief and delegate of the Mack-a-no-tin (Mikonotunne) band of the Tututni (Tootootoney) tribe.
He is historically recognized for signing the Oregon Coast Treaty of 1855 (also known as the Treaty with the Indians along the Coast of Oregon).
Researchers Note: Conversations and Ancestry notes included to show the thought process of figuring out these relationships over the past years.
Source of Confusion:
Government census takers and reservation agents in the late 19th and early 20th centuries frequently misheard, modernized, or lazily substituted traditional or unfamiliar names with common English equivalents.
When recording family names on the Siletz rolls, agents often did one of two things that would cause "Ella" to be written as "Ellen":
Phonetic Mishearing: An agent writing quickly by ear could easily mistake a soft, ending "ah" sound for an "en" sound, especially if the person speaking had a distinct accent or if the agent was rushing through a long line of families.
"Anglicizing" Names: Clerks frequently forced indigenous names into standard American-English boxes. If they thought "Ella" sounded incomplete or like a nickname, a clerk might automatically write down "Ellen" assuming it was her formal, legal Christian name.
You see this constantly across the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) rolls—families fluctuate between variations like Ella, Ellen, Ellie, or even completely different phonetic spellings from one decade's census to the next, all tracking the exact same individual.
Also, the new mention of the Frank Selsic name and if Frank was a son of En-sal-sun.
 |
| Whale Cove Inn Restaaurant 2004 |
The Sibling Connection:
New documentation found!
A breakthrough came from an unexpected source: historical records from the Whale Cove Inn:
 |
| A History of Whale Cove |
"It appears that his sister Ella (exact relationship uncertain), and her husband Frank Selsig, received the southern portion of Little Whale Cove."
There it is the confirmation to tie all these names together.
Ella is the full sibling to Charles Depoe of Depoe Bay!
 |
| Charley Depot AKA Charles Depoe |
Research Notes & Sources:
Ancestry note section of 2024:
Found an online pdf of the history of Whale Cove that included documentation that Ella is the sister of Charles Depoe and the wife of Frank Selsic. *******https://lwcha.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/A-History-of-Little-Whale-Cove.pdf********Now to figure out if their are two Ella's or are the same Ella. And the name Ellen, is that an additional name or a mistake in the Census Record. Ella Depoe has been confirmed. Now an Ella that married Chief Enselsun and the mother of Nellie Selsic and Antone Selsic. Is Frank Selsic a sibling as well? Confirmed sister of Charles Depoe when found an article from the Whale Cove restaurant website.*************** Later, messaged Hiine Depoe and was told that Mollie is the daughter of Charles with a different Mother from the other children. I was told Charles was the youngest and only boy of at least 9 older sisters. They knew of her but not her family lines. (Note: At the time was still researching the Frank name)
Mystery relatives:
Back in 2024, taking another look at Ella. Discovered names of people who were Ella's relatives and who were associated heirs on land allotment records. Discovered Ada Arden was a Depoe and Clara McIntyre, Delia Brown were also Depoe's. Turns out they are children of Charles Depoe. Who is Ada? and who are Jasper Grant and Nannie Thornton?
 |
| Why is Ella's land allotment heirs Depoe names? |
Ella Selsig(c) was also listed as Ada Depoe's allottee. (80 acres) in the Lincoln Leader newspaper. What is the relationship?
 | ||||||||
Ada Arden owner of Allotee: Ella Selsig
|
 |
| Ella Selsig Land Allotment of 1894 |
Based on the land patent records, Frank Selsig and Ella Selsig held distinct, separate land allotments rather than sharing a single parcel.
Frank Selsig (En-sal-sun): Held 82.53 acres located in Township 9 South, Range 11 West, Section 17.
Ella Selsig: Held a separate 80.00-acre allotment in Township 10 South, Range 10 West, Section 8 (Document #IA-0533-345)
 |
| Frank and Ella Selsic's Land allotment Small Whale Cove and Whale Cove 1.5 miles south of Depoe Bay, Oregon. |
Who is Ada?
Research Notes & Sources:
**********Ella Arden newpaper article stated as Land Allotment heir to my 3rd great grandma Ella Selsic. What is the connection. Was Ella a Depoe? Ella's children had passed away but they had children who were heirs. **********
The Viles family (who are her descendents) are saying that Ada Depoe is the half sister to Charles Depoe. I have her as a daughter and found the Early Oregon Index record saying she is. The Oregonian Index could be wrong though..
2026 Found a document on family search confirming/showing that Ada is a half sister to both Charles Depoe and Ella Depoe Selsic. (Ancestry Note section)
.jpg) |
| Family Search Record of Relationships |
The Mystery of Ada Arden:
Another major piece of the puzzle was figuring out where Ada fit into the family tree. For a long time, her relationship to the others was unclear whether she was a child of Charles Depoe or his half sister, but the records have finally revealed her true identity: Ada was a half-sister to both Ella and Charles Depoe.
This discovery helps explain some of the complex family connections on the early Siletz rolls, showing how different maternal and paternal lines intertwined within the Depoe and Selsic families.
 |
| Ada Depoe Arden |
Officially changed Ada Depoe to a half sister to both Ella Depoe-Selsic and Charles Depoe!
Who is Jasper Grant Thornton and Nannie Thornton Grant?
The final confirmation came from a 1919 letter from the Land Office, which detailed the heirs to Ella Selsic’s 80-acre land allotment. The document explicitly links the family together, naming the children of Charles Depoe and Minnie Minerva—including Ada Arden, Robert Depoe, Clara McIntyre, and Delia Brown. Crucially, it also names Jasper Grant an Nannie Grant- Thornton, solving yet another generation of mystery relatives and cementing their place within our shared family circle. But what is their relationship to Ella?
 |
| Land Allotment Record |
Researched these name and the relationship to her with no luck. I decided to reach out and see if anyone could possibly have any insight. I asked Robert Kentta and members of the Depoe family if they possibly knew who they were.
 |
| Census record of Nannie Thorton Grant and Jasper Grant |
Was Ella a Depoe? Is Mollie Depoe a sibling to Charles Depoe? Answer: No, confirmed that Mollie Depoe is actually a daughter of Charles Depoe with a different Mother from his other children shown in his tree. (Source: Hinne Depoe) Why weren't Antone Selsic's children heirs to Ella's allotment? (From notes on Ancestry in 2024)
Note: At this point I had found documentation outside of Ancestry that Ella was the sister to Charles Depoe of Depoe Bay! The confusion was with the Frank name that was never spoke of just Enselsun and also the years on the census records are not accurate.
Instant Messenger conversation:
Hello, Do you happen to have any documentation or know any passed down stories for Enselsun Selsic? I just know he was Tutuni and a possible warrior during the Rogue River wars. I've been working on a tree on Ancestry for years and have been fine tuning things lately. There is a puzzle with who his wife is Ella/Ellen.
I have found documentation that Frank Selsic's wife Ella is Ella Depoe sister of Charles Depoe. This makes me want to try to figure out the relationships because Enselsun wife is an Ella and some trees on Ancestry have Frank as Enselsun "Frank' Selsic. I just want to clarify if Enselsun is Frank and if there is one or two different Ella's. I've messaged some towners to see but haven't heard back. I've messaged with Ilene Depoe and Hiine Depoe a little. Hiine confirmed that the Mollie Depoe I had in my tree that was married to Antone Selsic prior to Abbie Wilson was a daughter to Charles Depoe with a different Mother from the other children. I also have a distant DNA match to a descendent of the Depoes on Ancestry so this makese. So far I have found three connections by marriages only.
6/25/24
Robert shared some info he knew of the Selsic line and wasn't sure about the Depoe connection:
Hi Amber! Hope all’s good with you…. I don’t know the Selsic/Enselsun history all that well. I just know Abbie was married to Several Siletz Men, and at least had a fling with one “red headed Irishman from Junction City” that was Bruce Butler Sr’s fa. I think his name was Charlie/Charles… then she was with Antone Selsic, David John, and Mr. Bell. Her daughter Christine Selsic marrying Wilbur Martin made that family connection for the Martins to be close cousins. Of course you likely know all that better than me. Abbie’s Sister Lavinia (Wilson)? being mother to the Felix boys also brings them into close relationship… I think she was also married to Mose Gilliam. I think there were two other sisters…. One must have been married to a Reed? I may have that wrong in my mind. I think at least one sister lived off reservation, and stayed with the father Andrew Wilson. Wish I could help more with the Selsic side history and where the DePoe’s fit in….. if at all. I was thinking Ella Depoe was one who sort of disappeared, and nobody knew what became of her…. But she may have married down south to Smith River or one of the Klamath River Tribes -
Research Notes & Sources:
The following records included their names:
Ella's land allotment heirs are all Depoe's (Charles Depoes children) which I thought was strange as of she was Ella to Enselsun then Antone and Nellie's should be heirs but then saw they had passed away as well then thought maybe there children to be heirs. Even a newspaper sale of land has Ada Arden-Depoe as heir. Also as heirs were a mother and son by the names of Jasper Grant and Nannie Thornton. I have no idea how they fit in as they are on a Roseburg Census record and the son at chemawa.... heard of them before? Frank Selsic was only on two Census Records. I found a document that confirmed Ella was the wife of Frank Selsic. Hiine Depoe confirmed that finding to be true and confirmed that Antone Selsics first wife Mollie Depoe was the daughter of Charles Depoe with a different mother as the other children. They knew Mollie but not who she married. Hiine added that he was the youngest of possibly 9 older sistersand Ella was one of them. The strange thing is that I have a distant DNA match to a Depoe descendent. I have found 3 connections so far but only by marriage. (Ancestry Notes)
Research Note (July 2024):
A crucial piece of documentation was shared by Mah Tasne Hughes from the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. This record, pulled from her father’s personal files and dated 1977, provides further insight into the familial connections of the Depoe line, corroborating previously held oral histories.
 |
| From the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians facebook group |
Ada Brown was also a relation to Ella and at the time did not know who she was.
Introduced to Family Search records:
 |
| Family Search Record |
"Joshua Tom , being duly sworn , on oath deposes and says : I knew Sandy Grant . He was a son of U - no - y - set who was also the father of Charles Depoe and also of Ada Arden , wife of Brown Arden , all by different wives The old man brought in them if the wives with him to the Reservation from the Rogue River country except the mother of Charles DePoe who died there before they came to the Reservation , and also the mother of Mrs Arden died at Rogue River before he came to the Reservation . Sandy Grant 's mother died here at the Reservation and she was living with U - no - ay - set at the time of her death which occurred a long time time after they came here . Her name was I have forgotten her name but she was of the Euchre tribe as was also the mother of Charles DePoe."
By cross-referencing the sworn deposition of Joshua Tom with the ancestral history of Whale Cove, a clearer picture has finally emerged. This record connects the dots regarding the identities of Nannie Thornton and Jasper Grant. We can now definitively state that they are the children of Sandy Grant, and by extension, the niece and nephew of Ella Selsig—a vital link to understanding her heirs and their claims to her land allotment.
The 2026 Breakthrough: Whale Cove Solves the Mystery
For a long time, the trail seemed to split—leaving me to wonder if I was looking at two different Ellas, or if "Ellen" was an entirely different person.
The ultimate missing link came directly from the historical documentation of Little Whale Cove. The records explicitly state that Ella was the full sister of Charles Depoe of Depoe Bay, and that she married Frank Selsic.
This single discovery ties all of our family threads together perfectly:
Frank Selsic and Chief En-sal-sun are the same person. It was common for traditional leaders to be recorded by English names (like Frank) on later reservation rolls.
Two legendary coastal lines unite. By confirming Ella's identity, we now know our family tree directly connects Chief En-sal-sun's Mikonotunne lineage with Charles Depoe's Joshua/Tututni lineage.
Nannie Thornton and Jasper Grant are identified. By cross-referencing the sworn deposition of Joshua Tom with these records, we have finally connected the dots: Nannie and Jasper are Sandy Grant’s children. Consequently, they are the niece and nephew of Ella Selsic and her rightful heirs to her land allotment.
New Insight into Lineage: Recent Family Search records have further illuminated Ella's background. We now know that her mother was of the Euchre Creek (Yuu-k'ii-che'-dv-ne) people—an Athabaskan-speaking band of the Tututni. Sadly, records indicate she passed away at Rogue River before the community was forced to the Siletz Reservation. This discovery reveals yet another layer of our family’s deep roots, connecting us to both the Mikonotunne and Euchre Creek lineages.
This beautifully unites two foundational families of the Siletz reservation history.
While this timeline clarifies many long-standing family mysteries, history is a living, evolving process. I welcome any additional documentation, family stories, or corrections from the community. If you have insights into the Selsic or Depoe lineages—please reach out. Every piece of information helps us honor the stories of those who came before us.
 |
| 1930s Whale Cove Depoe Bay Oregon Coast Highway |
Ultimately, this research is not just for me—it is for the future generations of our family who will one day seek to understand their roots. My hope is that by documenting these connections, correcting the errors of the past, and preserving these stories, I am leaving a clear path for them to follow. May this timeline serve as a foundation for their own discovery, ensuring that the names and lives of our ancestors are never lost again
Feedback & Corrections: I strive to ensure the historical information shared here is as accurate as possible. If you spot an error, have additional documentation, or would like to share related family history, please let me know. I welcome any corrections or insights that help deepen our understanding of this shared past.
My Blog: http://www.makingitthrough4110.com/
Please subscribe on the blog so that you can receive notification for future posts!
A Note on the Family Story
I am Amber Wegmuller, and this project began with a desire to uncover the voices and stories of my ancestors. My grandmother instilled in me the importance of being our family's history keeper, teaching me that our stories deserve to be remembered. As I digitize records, work on our family tree, and piece together the branches of our history, my goal is to honor the people who came before us—the ones whose resilience and stories have shaped who we are today.
Our Ancestral Lineage: This history is rooted in the deep, enduring ties of our people:
Tututni & Kwatami (Siletz): Mikonotunne (Mackanontin), Chemetunne (Joshua), Yukichetunne (Euchre), and Sik-ses-tenne (Sixes).
Grand Ronde: Umpqua, Shasta, Klickitat, and Lower Chinook.
Sources:
Oregon Coast Tribes Treaty of 1855 (Unratified) Couquille Indian Tribe website:
https://www.coquilletribe.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1855-Treaty.pdf
1930's Whale Cover post card is from: https://www.ebay.com/itm/177668886974
Ada Depoe Arden photo and Depoe Family paper is from The Confederated tribes of Siletz Indians facebook group, posted by Mah Tasne Hughes.
Comments
Post a Comment