M. L. Shugars, car repairer for the C.,M.& St.P R.R., North McGregor, was born in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pa., Jan. 1, 1829; his parents, Michael and Rebecca (Sprout) Shugars. They were members of the Presbyterian church, and had a family of seven children; M.L. was the third son. He attended school until fourteen, when he followed the tailor's trade three years, and the painter's trade in Pennsylvania, until Dec. 25, 1854, when he came to Iowa City, Iowa, and worked until May, 1855, and then worked in St. Paul, Minn., and Dubuque until the fall of 1857, when he came to North McGregor. He engaged in painting here until 1862, then opened a restaurant and ran that six years, then began to work in the car shops for the C., M. & St. Paul R. R., where he has since remained. He was married to Caroline E. Goodman, Jan. 6, 1858. She was born in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and was a daughter of Matthias Goodman. Mrs. Shugars is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. They have had six children, two sons and two daughters living-- George W., Etta, Charles and Jessie. Mr. Shugars was formerly a member of the I.O.O.F., at McGregor. He has been a member of the School Board nine years, and City Council two years. He is one of the old settlers of McGregor, having been identified here since 1857; he is also one of the representative men of McGregor, always taken an active interest in anything relating to his town. In politics he is a Greenbacker. He is of Hessian and Scotch descent. His grandfather was a Hessian soldier in the Revolutionary war. source: History of Clayton
County, Iowa, 1882, p. 1000 |