Elias Disney

Elias Charles Disney (February 6, 1859September 13, 1941) was a Canadian-American construction worker and entrepreneur. He is best known as the father of Roy and Walt Disney, co-founders of The Walt Disney Company. Biography Early life Disney was born in the rural village of Bluevale, in what is now Ontario, Canada, to Irish Protestant immigrants Kepple Elias Disney (1832–1891) and Mary Disney (née Richardson) (1838–1909). Both parents had emigrated from Freshford, County Kilkenny in Ireland to Canada as children, accompanying their parents. His parents would have eight other children in the following 18 years after the birth of Elias. Disney's father owned a farm and got into a variety of other business ventures to make money. He moved to California with his father in 1878 in hopes of finding gold. Instead, Kepple was convinced by an agent of the Union Pacific Railroad to buy of land near Ellis, Kansas. When the family moved, they would let go of their previously conservative ways with the exception of Elias. In Ellis, Disney attempted to live as an orange grower and failed.