Civil War veteran Levi Wells Ely (1829-1904) and his wife Laura (Page) migrated from Georgia to this area in 1882, and the settlement that grew up around their farm became known as the Ely community. Settlers were drawn to this cotton-producing area by its fertile soil and nearby rail lines. Ely included a general store, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, barber shop, and churches. A post office opened in 1895 and closed in 1905, and a school remained here until 1949, when it was consolidated with the Whitewright District.