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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: SHEPHERD, Hon. Adam Robert
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
SSpradling@aol.com
September 21, 1999
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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative
Citizens
W.S. Laidley
Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL.
1911
p. 364-367
HON. ADAM ROBERT SHEPHERD,
judge of the Kanawha county court, is a man who has rendered much useful
public service. He was born in Charleston, W. Va., April 7, 1868, a son of
John and Louise (Aultz) Shepherd, and is a grandson of Robert Shepherd, who
was born in Salem, Va., of English parents. The latter settled in the
American colo-nies just prior to the Revolutionary War. Their son Robert, who
was born just after the close of that war, came with his family to what is
now West Virginia, some time previous to the Civil War, settling in the
Charleston dis-trict. He subsequently purchased a farm in Union district and
became a successful farmer and stock raiser. His death took place about
twenty-two years ago, when he was 79 years old. He was a member of the M. E.
church. He married Mary Good, who came of a promi-nent Virginia family, and
who, like himself, was affiliated with the M. E. church. She died six years
after her husband, having attained the same age-79 years. They were the
parents of three children: John, father of our subject; B. King, and James
Robert. B. King Shepherd, who is a retired farmer residing in Charleston,
was born at New Salem and was there reared and educated. He married Louisa
Aultz, of Kanawha county, who died in 1809 without issue. They were both
affiliated with the M. E. church. James Robert Shepherd was born in Salem,
Va., and now resides on the old homestead in Union district. He married
Eliza, daughter of Robert Young, an early settler in Charleston. She is still
living and she and her husband belong to the M. E. Church. They have no
children.
John Shepherd was born in Prince Edward county, Va., in 1833. When a young
man he came to West Virginia, finding employment as a teacher in the public
schools and later teaching in private schools. He was very successful as an
educator, and in his latter years was recognized as one of the best informed
men in the state. He was a resident of South Charleston and devoted much of
his spare time to acquiring knowledge in regard to the history of the Kanawha
Valley, a subject on which lie was very thoroughly informed. He was an
active member of the Methodist church and an un-compromising Prohibitionist.
His death occurred March 17, 1911, when he was aged seventy-seven years, five
months and twenty-one days.
John Shepherd married Miss Louise Aultz, who was a sister of the wife of his
brother, B. King Shepherd. She was born in Kanawha county about 1841 and was
educated in the public schools. She died April 6, 1907. She was a good wife
and mother, and a member of the Methodist church. His father was Adam Aultz,
who came of an old family of Rock Bridge county, Va. He came to Charleston
about the year i8oo just after his marriage to a Miss Shamules, there being
at that time but one house standing here. He could have bought the entire
section for 25 cents per acre, but instead purchased a tract of eleven
hundred acres of new and unbroken timber land about nine miles from the site
of the present city. Wild game was then abundant and he had to protect his
family and stock from the bears and wolves, which were frequent if not
welcome visitors. He died at the age of 79 years, after having cleared off
some four hundred acres of his pur-chase. He was well and favorably known in
his district, being in fact a man of sterling and temperate habits. In
religion he was a Methodist and in politics a Republican. His wife, who
survived until 1890, died in Charleston at the home of her daughter, aged 88
years.
The children of John and Louise (Aultz) Shepherd were five in number-Clark
W., L. Ella, Adam Robert, J. King. and Mattie. Clark W., born in 1863, was
educated in the public schools and at the Wesleyan University of Ohio, where
he was graduated. He was subsequently graduated from the medical college at
Baltimore with the class of i888, receiving the degree of M.D., and since
that time has been practicing as a physician at Spring Hill. He married Lucy
Tisdale, of Lennenburg county, Va., and has one son, Tisdale, now aged 20
years, a student in the Charleston High School. L. Ella Shepherd was born in
Charleston in 1865 and was well educated in public and private schools. She
is unmarried and is now a teacher in the public schools. J. King Shepherd,
born in 1867, was educated in Charleston, where he now resides. He holds the
office of deputy sheriff. He is unmarried. Mattie, born in 1869, is the wife
of C. L. Pauley of the Raleigh Coal Company, of Raleigh county, W. Va.
Adam Robert Shepherd, our direct subject, was educated in the public schools
of Charleston and was variously occupied until J894, when he engaged in
mecantile business, as proprietor of a general store, which he now owns. He
was appointed postmaster by President McKinley,June 15, 1897, and ably
administered the business of the postoffice until 1900, when he was elected
to the office of assessor for a term of four years. In 1906 he was elected to
the legislative branch of the general assembly, serving two years. In 1908
he was elected president of the county court, this making him a county
commissioner to serve six years, his term as president of the court being
three years. His record as commissioner is one for which he deserves the
highest commendation. When he took office the credit of the county was at a
very low ebb. Its indebtedness was $178,000 and its bonds sold for only 60
cents on the dollar. He has succeeded in reducing the indebtedness to $32,000
and the bonds are now selling at par. It has been provided, moreover, that
the indebtedness shall be wholly cancelled by Janu-ary I, 1912. For his work
in this connection Mr. Shepherd has been highly praised, and his fellow
citizens have congratulated themselves that they made no mistake in judgment
when they elected him to his present office.
Judge Shepherd is a Republican politically, and has served as representative
to county and state conventions. He is also secretary for the Eighth
Senatorial district. He is a Mason, belonging to Washington Lodge No.58, A.
F. & A. M., of St. Albans; also to Spring Hill Lodge No. 140, I. 0.0. F., of
wihch he has been treasurer for fifteen years.
Judge Shepherd was married June 30, 1899, in Richmond, Va., to Miss Elizabeth
F. Ellett, who was born in that city in 1878, a daughter of Robert Ellett,
and was there educated. Our subject and wife are the parents of one son,
El-ett Northcott, born January 5, 1900, who is attending public school in
Charleston. Mrs. Shepherd is a member of the First Baptist church of
Richmond, Va.
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