Ellen Louise Curtis was born in Schuylerville, Saratoga County, New York. Details about her immediate family and early childhood in Schuylerville are relatively scarce, but it is reasonable to assume a modest upbringing characteristic of the time and place.

While specific details of her formal education remain unclear, it is likely that Ellen received a basic education appropriate for young women of the time. This would likely have included reading, writing, and perhaps some arithmetic, along with needlework and other domestic skills.

It is speculated that Ellen may have begun working or apprenticing in a related field, such as dressmaking or millinery, prior to meeting her future husband. This experience, even if undocumented, would have contributed to her later success.