Local Missouri Woman Once Known as Tallest for Her Generation

You just never know what you will find when you start researching down the rabbit hole.

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Not only did one of the tallest men come from Illinois, but I recently found out that of her generation one of the tallest women in history came from Missouri. Not only did she come from Missouri but she was born in LaGrange and lived in Scotland Couty, Missouri.

Ella Ewing was known as the tallest woman of her generation in the late 1800s. Ella stood eight feet, four inches tall, wore size 24 shoes and it took 80 yards of fabric to make just one dress for her. In order to help provide for her family, Ella was part of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and made appearances at the Chicago museums, tours, exhibitions, and county fairs.

When she wasn't touring Ella enjoyed time at her custom-built farm in Scotland County which was made to fit her with oversized doorways and even furniture to accommodate her size. It was determined the reason for her extreme height was thought that Ella had pituitary gigantism, a medical condition caused by the overproduction of growth hormones. Ella passed from tuberculosis in 1913 and is buried in South Gorin, Missouri.

To have one tallest person closet the Tri-States is amazing, but to know that there were two world record holders of being the tallest person you have to wonder what was in the water when both Robert Wadlow and Ella Ewing were alive.