MRS. MATTIE ELLIOTT

Butte County

Biographies

MRS. MATTIE ELLIOTT

MRS. MATTIE ELLIOTT.—A very interesting woman, whose attractions are least of all due to the fact that she is successful in business and a progressive public-spirited citizen, is Mrs. Mattie Elliott, always optimistic as to the future of Chico. She was born in Huntsville, Randolph County, Mo., the daughter of William Crutchfield, a native of Virginia, whose wife had been Barbara Matlock, a native of North Carolina. Her parents were married in that state, and came to Missouri where, as farmers, they raised tobacco and cotton. Mr. Crutchfield also manufactured tobacco, and after a busy life died in Missouri at the age of seventy. Mrs. Crutchfield passed away in her forty-fifth year, the mother of ten children.

The second eldest child, Mrs. Elliott was educated at Magee College, Missouri, from which well known institution she at length graduated. At her father’s home she was married to James Tilton, a native of Quincy, Ill., and at Quincy the young couple resided, Mr. Tilton having a plumbing business there. At the end of five years they removed to Huntsville, Mo., but in 1871 came to California. For a year they lived at Colusa and then went to Bartlett Springs, where Mr. Tilton built the first hotel. They also had a hotel at Allan Springs, and then they removed to Willows, passing a couple of years there and in other places. In 1876, they located at Chico, at that time a small place, and started a restaurant business on Second Street, between Broadway and Main. At first they leased, and then they erected a large building on Broadway known as the Tilton Hotel, and added to it until they had fifty rooms.

Mrs. Tilton divorced her husband and ten years later married William Elliott, a native of Ireland. By her first marriage Mrs. Elliott had two children: Nora, now Mrs. Loran Daniels of Chico; and Fanny, better known as Mrs. Becker, who resides at Richmond.

After selling the Tilton Hotel, Mrs. Elliott bought the Johnson House, on Broadway, for eight thousand dollars, which she rebuilt and improved and a year later sold for nineteen thousand dollars. She then purchased the Hallam House, on Second and Main Streets, and immediately began remodeling and enlarging it, making many improvements until it is now a very valuable property. She managed it as a first class hotel until 1907, when wishing to retire from hotel life she leased the property, and, with Mr. Elliott’s aid, gives her time to looking after her various properties. Among her treasures Mrs. Elliott has a very large and valuable collection of curios, which have come to her either by gift from friends or by purchase, and prizing them very highly, she has built a fireproof room for their display.

Mrs. Elliott still owns valuable property on Second Street, between Wall and Main, extending for nearly half a block, and she has a couple of farms, in the management of which she is very successful, displaying the rare traits of a woman naturally endowed for business operations. All of her property she has improved from time to time, and in this development she takes natural and commendable pride.

Transcribed 4-25-08 Marilyn R. Pankey.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Page 900, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.

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