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BIOGRAPHIES
 Source:
A Portrait and Biographical Record of Allen & Putnam
Counties, Ohio
Containing Biographical Sketches of Many
Prominent and Representative Citizens,
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the
Presidents of the United States
and Biographies of the
Governors of Ohio
---
Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.
1896
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ELIAS H. SHOOK. - It
is always a pleasant task to write of an intelligent and
progressive man, especially of one devoted to the development of
modern methods in agriculture. Such a man is Elias H.
Shook, the subject of this biographical sketch, who in this
respect is one of the leading citizens of the county.
Mr. Shook was born in Ottawa county, Ohio, near Port
Clinton, the county seat, Sept. 30, 1835. He is a son of
Isaac and Susan (East) Shook, the former of whom, like
his son, was a practical farmer.
Elias H. Shook was reared in Allen county from
the time he was a small boy, about four or five years of age,
his parents at that time locating in German township, on section
No. 21, where Mr. Shook himself now lives. He there
assisted in clearing up the farm, which contained eighty acres,
and in securing his education, at the public schools and in a
subscription school, so that he was more than ordinarily well
educated for the times in which he spent his youth.
His father died about 1845, and he
then went to live with his uncle John
East, where he remained until he was eighteen years
old. At this time he returned to his home and began to
learn the trade of carpenter, which trade occupied the most of
his time for twenty years. Many of the best residences in
Allen county have been erected by Mr. Shook. At the
same time, however, that he was engaged in the carpenter trade
and in erecting houses for other people, he was also engaged in
farming to a considerable extent, and about 1876 he erected a
manufactory, for the purpose of making draining tile, at which
he was employed in connection with his farming and building
until 1892, when he sold out the tile manufacturing business.
Mr. Shook has purchased the old homestead, which
now contains eighty-two acres of land, and upon it has erected a
fine frame residence, the old one having been destroyed by fire.
He also has excellent barns for stock and grain, all of which he
himself erected. He is engaged for the most part in
general farming and in the cultivation of small fruits
raspberries, strawberries, etc., and is also engaged in raising
the best grades of stock, such as the Poland-China hog and
Jersey cattle. Most of his farm is under a high state of
cultivation, and he is generally looked upon as one of the most
progressive men of Allen county. Not only this, but he has
public spirit, which is something hard to find, most men
thinking that if they successfully carry on their own private
business they are doing all that is required of them.
Mr. Shook always is ready to assist any enterprise which
bids reasonably fair to promote the public good. He is a
man of broad and liberal views, and is one of the wheel-horses
of the democratic party of Allen county, always ready to work
for his party in or out of office. His party has honored
him by giving him the office he has held for many years.
He has also been sent by his party as delegate to several
conventions, and is now a member of the county central
committee, and one of the advisory board.
Mr. Shook was married
Sept. 18, 1858 to Miss Mary Blausser, who was born in
Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1832. She is a daughter of
Joseph and Magdalena (Stolter) Blausser. Mr. and
Mrs. Shook are the parents of seven children, viz: David,
a farmer of German township; Alonzo, also a farmer of
German township; Frank, a fireman on the D. & M.
railroad, living at Lima; Sherman in the employ of the L.
E. & W. railroad company, at Lima; Charles another farmer
of German township; Princess Almeda, wife of Clarence
Miller, of Lima, Mr. Miller being a fireman on
the P., Ft. W. & C. railroad, and
Samson, living at home. Mr. Shook is in
every way, and in the best sense as will be seen by what has
been written of him in this sketch, a self-made man. What
he has accumulated he has by his own labor and energy, and what
he has made of himself personally has been no less by the
exercise of his own will and talents. Too many such men
can not be found in any community.
Source: A Portrait and Biographical History of Allen and Putnam
Counties, Ohio, Publ. 1896 - Part I - Page 487 |
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JACOB L. SHOOK, a successful manufacturer of a high grade of
tiling at Westminster, Auglaize township, Allen county, Ohio,
was born in Franklin county, May 21, 1843, and is of German
descent. The paternal grandfather of our subject, John
Shook, settled in Ohio about the year 1815, his maternal
grandfather, John C. East, was born in Hesserland July 15, 1754,
was a soldier in the British army, and was sent to America
during the Revolutionary war. On arriving in this country
he deserted the British and joined his fortunes with the patriot
army. Subsequently he located in Pennsylvania, but about
1815 or 1816 came to Ohio.
Isaac Shook, father of our subject, was born in
Allegheny county, Pa., Sept. 10, 1803, came to Ohio about 1815,
settled in Pickaway county and died Nov. 1, 1843, a member of
the United Brethren church, and in politics a democrat. He
married Susanna East, Sept. 9, 1824. This lady was
born in Pennsylvania, Nov. 14, 1805, came to Fairfield county,
Ohio, in 1815, and died in Allen county in August, 1882.
The union was blessed with seven sons and one daughter.
Jacob L. Shook, our subject, worked at the
carpenter and joiner's trade until seventeen years of age, when
he was appointed, by Gov. Bishop, a guard at the Ohio
state Penitentiary, a position he held for two years, four
months and eleven days, and located at Lima, Ohio, where he
bought, with his savings, four town lots, from the sale of which
he netted $2,500, and his profit he invested, some six years
ago, in his present business, which has been a source of profit
to him up to the present time. In 1894 he bought a farm of
ninety acres in Adams county, Ind., to which he expects to
remove in 1896, and follow agriculture for the remainder of his
life. He married in Allen county, Oct. 12, 1878, Miss
Mary J. Baker, a native of the county, born Sept. 21, 1858,
and a daughter of Jacob l. and Mary (Grubb) Baker, and to
this union have been born the following children:
Howard C. and Ada, deceased, Edith G.,
Jacob L. G., and Nettie M. The father of
Mrs. Shook was born in Washington county, Pa., and the
mother in Morgan county, Ohio, and since their marriage have
always been identified with Allen county. Mr. Grubb
was an eloquent and successful minister in the German Baptist
church, in which the major portion of his life was passed, and
in the ministry of which he died Dec. 14, 1893. In
politics he was a democrat. To his marriage were born
children as follows: Addison, (deceased), Andrew
M., James I., Jacob M. (deceased), Mary J. and
Minnie (deceased).
Mr. Shook is a self-made man, all he owns being
the result of his well directed toil and good management.
In politics he is a democrat, and with his wife is a member of
the German Baptist church, the teachings of which have been the
guiding rules of his life. Fraternally he is a member of
lodge No. 581, I. O. O. F., and socially he and wife are held in
in high esteem by the community in which they live
Source: A Portrait and Biographical History of Allen and Putnam
Counties, Ohio, Publ. 1896 - Part I - Page 488 |
NOTES:
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