The community was located on the East Fork of the Grand River approximately six miles north of Albany.[2]Big Muddy Creek enters the East Fork one-half mile west of the community.[3]
A post office called Ellenorah was established in 1865, and remained in operation until 1898.[4] The community's name is an amalgamation of the first names of a settler's two daughters.[5] An early variant name was "Gay's Mill", after Jesse Gay, proprietor of a saw and gristmill.[6]