Interview with Kenneth Ellingsworth – ca. 2004

Mr. Ken Ellingsworth’s parents arrived in Delray Beach in the early 1920s from Jefferson Town, Kentucky. Looking for a new place to move to after the death of Mr. Ellingsworth’s grandfather, they had heard from a friend in Kentucky that Delray was a wonderful place – and booming, with plenty of opportunity. They bought a piece of property in January of 1926 on the southeast corner of SE 1st Avenue and SE 2nd Street, two blocks off of Atlantic Avenue in the downtown area. It remained the location of the family home for much of Mr. Ellingsworth’s life. Mr. Ellingsworth left home to serve in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and again later to attend Florida State University. He served as the Director of the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce for thirty-two years from 1959-1991. Mr. Ellingsworth was retired for a little over a year when he was appointed to fill a vacant position on the Delray Beach City Commission in 1992. He then ran unopposed for three consecutive terms, serving until 1998, before retiring again.