The town of Elyria in Lorain County, Ohio, was founded by Heman Ely (1775-1852) in 1817. A native of West Springfield, Massachusetts, Heman Ely was the son of Justin Ely and Ruth White Ely. Justin (1739-1817) was a Harvard College graduate, successful merchant, representative of West Springfield in the General Court of Massachusetts (1777, 1780-1785, 1790-1797), land speculator and developer in Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and New York, and one of the original proprietors of the Connecticut Western Reserve under the Connecticut Land Company. Ruth (1744-1809) originally from Bolton, Connecticut, was the first wife of Justin Ely. Although, like many other investors, Ruth and Justin never came to the territory, these individuals belonged to the group of East Coast speculators that took part in the capitalist venture west. The portraits had only the sitter's names on file and prove that assuming Ohio provenance on objects collected locally can lead to error.

Through their son, the Elys imprinted their values and culture on the land. Not unlike the Gleason portrait, the Ely portraits are important evidence of the social environment in which some settlers emerged. As most settlers attempted to either regain the status they had left behind or propel themselves to the next level, these portraits enlighten us as to the dress behavior of educated wealthy individuals on the East Coast. These portraits also echo the human need for mementos of loved ones, which no doubt reminded Heman of the home, family and life he left behind. Not unlike other visuals presented thus far, the Ely portraits were brought west and represent a continuation between the past and the future. Both portraits are also of interest because they depict styles that are comparable to other artifacts found in Ohio (Ruth's dress is similar to a brown silk gown from the Warren County Historical Society and Justin's coat is comparable to a blue frock coat from the Western Reserve Historical Society). In addition to helping garments found in Ohio institutions compare to those worn on the East Coast, these mementos make us wonder what we would bring were we to undertake such an adventure.