Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 525
HON. WILLIAM M. SHARPNACK

Hon. William M. SHARPNACK, dealer in grain and agricultural implements at Modale, came to the county with his father, John SHARPNACK, who in 1854 filed a Swamp Land claim in Clay Township.

Our subject was born in Wetzel County, W. V., January 13, 1850, and is the son of John and Sarah (MINOR) SHARPNACK, both natives of West Virginia. In the fall of 1850 they moved to Washington County, Iowa, and remained until they came to Harrison County in 1854. In the spring of 1860 our subject's father sold out in Clay Township and entered one hundred and sixty acres where Modale now stands on sections 30 and 31, of Taylor Township. The same spring with his family he went to Pike's Peak, but returned in the fall, and in the spring of 1861 moved to his place, and there remained until the fall of 1865, when he sold out and went into the sawmill business on the river in Cincinnati Township.

Our subject remained at home with his parents until the spring of 1871, at which time he was married, but still worked with his father on the farm. In the spring of 1871 they sold out the mill and came back to Taylor Township, and bought eighty acres of land on section 30, and in the spring of 1874 they moved over near Blair, Neb., where the father had bought a half interest in a sawmill, and where by accident he was killed in the mill the following autumn. The mother sold out over there and came back to the farm which our subject took charge of, and run until the fall of 1880. He then engaged in the hardware business at Modale, and continued until January, 1883, when he sold out and engaged in the grain business, and in the spring following formed a partnership with F. H. LUDWIG in the grain and stock business. Our subject sold his interest to Mr. LUDWIG in the fall of 1884, but continued the business for Mr. LUDWIG that winter, and in the spring of 1885 moved to the farm and remained one season. In December, 1885, he was appointed Postmaster, and in January, 1886, he formed a partnership with J. G. GILCHRIST in the hardware and implement business. The June following he sold out to GILCHRIST and a few days later GILCHRIST sold to C.S.BROWN, and our subject remained with him as clerk. In the fall of 1886 he and Mr. BROWN became partners in the grain business, and continued until the fall of 1888, when he bought BROWN out. In January, 1890, our subject sold his interest in his hardware business to C. SCHRODER.

Mr. SHARPNACK was united in marriage in Harrison County, Iowa, February14, 1871, to Miss Jane HAMMER, the daughter of Jacob and Cynthia HAMMER. By this union one child was born, Ella, born August 23, 1872, and the mother died the same day. For his second wife Mr. SHARPNACK, on January 1, 1874, married Miss Susan E. WEST, the daughter of Edwin and Susan (ROCORD) WEST. By this union five children have been born; Effie I., John E., Charles F., William I. and Laura B.

Susan (WEST) SHARPNACK was born in Jackson County, Iowa, December 24, 1856, and her parents came to Harrison County at an early day. Mrs. SHARPNACK is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Mr. SHARPNACK is a member of the Odd Fellows Order, belonging to Mondamin Lodge, No. 392.

The father of our subject, as before stated, was killed in the mill in Nebraska in the fall of 1874, and was buried at Calhoun. The mother subsequently married in August, 1884, John Ingram and resided at Cameron, W. Va. She died February 2, 1890, and is buried at Cameron. They were the parents of three children; two sons and one daughter, our subject being the eldest in the family.

Politically our subject is a Democrat and has held the office of Township Clerk for ten years. In the fall of 1888 he made the race on the Democratic ticket for the office of County Recorder. He had about two hundred and fifty votes to overcome and was only defeated by about fifty votes. He has voted nineteen times in Taylor Township, always casting a straight Democratic ballot and is known to be a political fighter "from way back," and only held the post office ten days after the change in the administration, and was probably an offensive partisan. At the general election of 1891, he was elected State Representative by a majority of four hundred and seventeen votes.

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