Biographies
For
Muscatine County Iowa
1889



Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 291

THOMAS SHEPHERD, was born near Brown Brook(A researcher believes that Brown Brook is a typo in the book, should be Bound Brook), in Somerset County, N. J., Nov. 24, 1804. His parents were born in Monmouth County, N. J., his father on the 12th of October,1770, and his mother on the 24th of August, 1775. The maiden name of his mother was Schenck, the family being from Holland. The Shepherds were from England. Elisha Shepherd, the grandfather of our subject, served as Captain, through the Revolutionary War, and was with Gen. Washington at the battle of Monmouth. His father and mother were married in Monmouth County, N. J., Jan. 18, 1795. To them were born twelve Children---Sarah, Rhoda, Mary, Tyler, Nellie, Thomas, Allette and Catherine (twins) Anna, John, and Catherine. Four of the children died when young, but the rest lived to have large families, except Sarah, who was never married. His parents lived in Monmouth County three years after their marriage, and then removed to Somerset County, where they lived upon a farm near Brown Brook(A researcher believes that Brown Brook is a typo in the book, should be Bound Brook) until they started for Ohio, May 2, 1816. We now quote from a sketch of his life written by Mr. Shepherd: " Selling their household goods and farm utensils, except such as they could pack in two large wagons, the family, which then consisted of the parents and nine children, started on their journey of 700 miles. In these days of railroads and telegraphs one can scarcely realize the hardships of traveling 700 miles in loaded wagons with such a family. Not all could ride at one time so the older members had to take turns in walking. John Olden has often given the reason assigned by his mother for taking such a journey. She said that John Schenck, who had been living in Ohio for some time, often wrote her glowing descriptions of the country, and urged her to come to Ohio with her family. In one of his letters he wrote a special inducemant for her to come, that pumkin pies there grew on trees. After their arrival one day his mother said to him,' John, show me the trees on which pumpkin pies grow.' In telling the story mother would say,' John took me into the woods, and pointing to those nasty pawpaw trees said,' There are your pumpkin pies, full grown and ready to eat.'

"In the company that went to Ohio, there were seven families, consisting of forty-two men, women and children, eleven two-horse wagons and twenty-two horses, and it was a jolly crowd. The wagons all had linen covers, and upon the boxes in the wagons were spread feather beds, upon which part of the family slept at night, while the remainder slept at hotels at their different stopping places. They passed through Pennsylvania and over mountains to Pittsburgh, arriving there two weeks from the time of starting. They there bought two flatboats, which they fastened together side by side, putting the horses upon the smaller boat and the wagons upon the other, where the people also rode. The river being low and having no pilot they got aground several times. At one time they had to jump their horses into the river and lead them to an island. After getting their boat afloat they took their horses again on board. After two weeks upon the river they landed at Cincinnati on the 2d of June, where they remained two or three days, putting their wagons together and preparing for another trip by land into the country to find some of their friends who had moved out some years before. The first stop that they made was at Carthage, near which place Andrew Smalley, one of the party, had a brother living. Smalley stopped there but the rest went to Reading, where they stopped for one night. Continuing the journey they went to Franklin, where part of the party remained while others sought other locations. My father purchased a farm near Reading. Smalley bought a farm near Carthage, where now stands the city infirmary.. My father lived upon the farm near Reading until his death, which occurred Aug. 23, 1830. Mother lived on the same farm until one year of her death, when she made her home with her daughter Alletta,who married Stephen Whitlock; she died April 9, 1869, in the ninety-fourth year of her age. The family all married except Sarah, and at this writing, Jan. 15, 1886, all are dead but myself.

" I lived at home upon my father's farm until one year after my marriage. I was married by Rev. J. Thompson to Sarah Preston, May 20, 1824. One year after my marriage I removed to the farm where I now live, situated one mile and a half north of Sharonville, where our children were born---Nellie, Preston, Maria, Tyler, Sarah, Margaret, Thomas, John, and William. Nellie married Cass Bates, Sept.21, 1842; they are living at Sharonville and have had twelve children, six of whom are living, together with four grandchildren; Preston married Emma Foster, Aug. 1, 1849; they reside in Leadville,Colo., and have six children, five of whom are living, together with seven grandchildren; Maria J. married E.Y.W.Blanot, Nov.9, 1848; they reside in Missouri and have had nine children, seven of whom are living, together with four grandchildren; Tyler married Tillie Van Note, Nov. 12, 1863, and they reside near Hannibal, Missouri ; they have had six children, four of whom are living, together with one grandchlid. Margaret married Henry Fox, of Ohio, Sept. 21, 1854; they have had six children, four of whom are living. Thomas married Ella Daly, Jan. 28, 1866; they reside at Lockland, Ohio, and have had six children, four of whom are living. John married Josie Leighton, March 28, 1869; they reside near Hannibal, Mo., and have had eight children, six of whom are living. Emma C. married Howard, May 17, 1880. It will thus be seen that I have had eleven children, fifty-three grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.

"On the 28th of May, 1874, we celebrated our Golden Wedding. In speaking of this wedding a local paper says: ' Uncle Tommy and his bride looked remarkably hale and hearty as they stood upon the floor side by side to receive the blessings and prayers of the minister and the congratulations of their friends. A joyous time was had, when, upon the invitation of the host and hostess the numerous descendants, relatives and friends of the happy old couple retired to the dining room of the family mansion, and enjoyed the feast of reason and the flow of soul. It is a remarkable fact that the married life of this couple has been spent upon their fine farm in Sycamore Township, Hamilton County,Ohio, which adjoins the beautiful village of Gano, The fact speaks well for the healthfulness of the charming locality. Long may they live to enjoy it.'

" This sketch of our family history is respectively presented to my living relatives, with the hope that all may be sufficiently interested in the same to preserve it for future reference. Truly yours,

"Thomas Shepherd."

Thomas Shepherd died in January, 1888, but his widow still survives, and resides at the old homestead.


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