Shoemaker, Elias

SHOEMAKER, THATCHER, LA FEVRE, WILD, HUNT, CONE, BEACH, MILLER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 2/14/2003 at 15:40:26

ELIAS SHOEMAKER. 

For a third of a century this well-known engineer has been one of the trusted employees of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company, and is one of the worthy citizens of Clinton. He was born in Hopewell, Ontario county, New York, April 20, 1844, a son of Nicholas and Rebecca (Thatcher) Shoemaker, both of whom were also natives of the Empire state. About 1817, the paternal grandfather, Jeremiah Shoemaker, in company with his brother Peter, removed from Ulster county, New York, to the western part of that state, and settled in Ontario county, where he continued to make his home throughout the remainder of his life, but the brother subsequently went to Canada and located on the west side of Long Point Bay, where he erected a house that stood for many years. The grandfather of our subject was a stone mason by trade, and was engaged in the construction of the Canadaigua jail. His death occurred at Hopewell. In his family were seven children, all of whom died in New York.

Nicholas Shoemaker, our subject’s father, was only three years old when the family removed to Ontario county, New York, and his life was passed as a farmer at Hopewell. He married Rebecca Thatcher, who was born in that county, a daughter of Joseph and Annie (La Fevre) Thatcher, early settlers of western New York from Massachusetts. Her ancestors were originally from France, though the family was founded in this country at an early day. Nicholas Shoemaker died in 1866, at the age of fifty-two years, and his wife passed away five years later. They had a family of five children: Anna M., deceased wife of Ira G. Wild, of Los Angeles, California; Elias, our subject; Simeon, who died in childhood; Rhoda, deceased wife of Henry Hunt; Jethero, also deceased.

Reared in his native county, the subject of this review was educated in its public schools and the Canadaigua Academy. Noah T. Clarke was principal. In 1867 he was united in marriage with Miss Electa B. Cone, also a native of Ontario county, New York, and a daughter of James L. and Edna (Beach) Cone, who were among the early settlers of that locality. Her maternal grandfather was David Beach, one of the pioneers of the county. Mr. Cone died in 1900 at the ripe old age of eighty-four years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker were born two children: Monta, who was foreman in the switch yard at Lyons, was killed there December 19, 1894, at the age of twenty-four years. He entered the service of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company as call boy, and in seven years arose to the position of foreman. Edna B. is now the wife of F. E. Miller, foreman of a switching crew in the Chicago & Northwestern yards at Clinton.

Immediately after his marriage Mr. Shoemaker came west and was first engaged in the livery business at Clinton, having always been more or less interested in track horses, and although he sold out his business at the end of a year, he has since owned some very fine horses. In the fall of 1868 he entered the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway as fireman, many of the old railroad employees having left the road to enter the service of the Union Pacific Railroad. In January, 1873, he was promoted to engineer, and the following summer went to Cedar Rapids, where he ran a switch engine. Prior to the extension of the division from Clinton to Belle Plaine, and from 1882 to 1888 ran a freight train on the Midland division. Mr. Shoemaker was employed as extra passenger engineer for some time prior to 1890, and was then given a regular passenger run on the Midland division from Clinton to Anamosa, which he still holds. When he entered the service of the company many of the engines were wood burners, and the firemen on these received fifty dollars per month, but he was hired as fireman on a coal burner and was given fifty-five dollars per month. This was on the Meteor, a small engine with a fifteen-inch cylinder. In those early days he was often sent out as an extra wood fireman. He has been very fortunate since going on the road, having met with no serious accidents, and he has never had his engine run into another train. Fraternally he affiliates with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the Knights of Pythias, and politically has always been identified with the Republican party since attaining his majority. Wherever known he is held in the highest regard and has a host of warm friends in Clinton, where he has so long made his home. His wife died August 1, 1893. She was a member of the Presbyterian church, of which our subject is an attendant and supporter.
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.