History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 203

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532

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HON. LAZARUS DENISON SHOEMAKER, Wilkes-Barre. The subject of this sketch was born in Kingston township, Luzerne county, November 5, 1819. There and in

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the city of Wilkes-Barre he has continued to reside, except when absent at college, or in public service. His remote ancestor in America was Hendrick Jechemsen Schoonmaker, who emigrated from Amsterdam, Holland, in the year 1640, and settled in the town of Rochester, Ulster Co., N. Y. He purchased a large tract of land in that locality, which he occupied up to the time of his death in 1729; and in the his- tory of that day he seems to have been a prominent man in the affairs of his coun- try. He left a family of two sons and two daughters. The eldest son, Jochem Hendrick, who was born at Albany, married Anna, daughter of Frederick and Margaret Hussey. He died in 1713, and left fourteen children. During the Revo- lution, the names of his descendants appear frequently on the rolls of the patriot army. One of his sons, Benjamin, in 1735 purchased a farm near Stroudsburg, Monroe Co., Pa., and occupied it until his death, which occurred in 1775. While living in Pennsylvania, his name became changed from Schoonmaker to Shoemaker, the latter being the English of the former. In the recorder's office at Easton, North- ampton Co., Pa., the farm which he purchased is conveyed to him as grantee, as "Benjamin Schoonmaker," while his name in his will some forty years later is sub- scribed by him as "Benjamin Shoemaker," and his descendants have so continued to write it. He held several offices of trust, and left & competence for his widow and children. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas Depui, the first settler of Shawnee, on the Delaware river. Nicholas emigrated from Artois, in the north of France, in 1664. Benjamin and Elizabeth were blessed with two sons-Elijah and Daniel-and six daughters. Elijah, the eldest, and the grandfather of our sub- ject, settled at Forty Fort on a claim sold to him by John Fish, a Connecticut claim- gnt under the Susquehanna Purchase, in the Wyoming Valley in 1774. On this tract is located the Forty Fort cemetery and the old church, and near the spot where he erected the log house for his residence, on the west bank of Abraham creek. His wife was Jane, a daughter of John McDowell, of Cherry Valley, Monroe Co., Pa., who emigrated from the North of Ireland in 1735. Elijah and his wife became at once permanent and prominent settlers in their new home, and were successful in clearing their farm. On July 3, 1778, occurred the memorable battle of Wyoming, and Elijah was slain, leaving his widow and one son, Elijah, three months old, who was the father of our subject, and became the owner of a large and valuable farm. In 1814 he was elected sheriff of Luzerne county. In May, 1800, he married Eliza- beth, eldest daughter of Col. Nathan Denison, and by her he had a family of six sons and three daughters, all of whom are deceased except the youngest daughter, Caroline (wife of Dr. Levi Ives, of New Haven Conn.), and the youngest son, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Shoemaker died in July, 1829, in the fiftieth year of his age, leaving a valuable estate still owned by his descendants. The maternal grand- father of our subject, Col. Nathan Denison, moved from Windham, Conn., to this Valley in 1768, where he purchased a farm, and a few years later married Elizabeth Sill, daughter of Jabez and Hannah Sill, formerly of Windham, Conn. This is ' recorded as the first marriage in the Valley, and their eldest son, Lazarus Denison, as the first white child born in the Valley. The Denisons trace their ancestry to William Denison, who was born in England in 1586, and settled in Roxbury, Mass., in 1631.

Our subject's preliminary education was received at the Moravian school, Naza- reth Hall, Pa .. Later he attended Kenyon College, at Gambier, Ohio, and from there, in 1836, entered the Freshman class at Yale University, where he was grad- uated with honor in 1840. He then engaged in the study of the law with Gen. E. W. Sturdevant in Wilkes-Barre, and in August, 1842, was admitted to the bar, since which time he has been in the continuous practice of his profession, except when called away by the performance of official duties, to which his superior quali- fication made it the pleasure of his fellow citizens to call him. In 1866 he was nom- inated, by the Republican party, as their candidate for State Senator, and in a dis- trict strongly Democratic was elected by a decisive majority. He was assigned to the position of chairman on the judiciary committee, which he held during the three

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years of his term; as also on other committees, on all of which he served with entire satisfaction to his constituents, so that in 1870 he was nominated a candidate for Representative in Congress for the Twelfth District of Pennsylvania, to which he was elected by a large majority, and re-elected two years later by a still more flat- tering support. At the expiration of his second term in Congress he declined any further honors of a political character, and resumed his law practice, in which he still continues. In addition to being a leading lawyer, with a successful practice, whose official acts merited the public confidence, Mr. Shoemaker holds a conspicuous place in the banking, industrial and benevolent enterprises of the city. On October 10, 1848, he married Esther W., daughter of Samuel and Clorinda Wadhams, of Plymouth, both of whom are descendants of early New England families, of English descent. The issue of this union was one son and five daughters, now living, viz. : Levi I., who graduated at Yale University, class of 1882, also at the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania, and is now practicing his profession in Wilkes- Barre; Clorinda W. (Mrs. Irving A. Stearns); Elizabeth S. (Mrs. George L. Dicker- man); Caroline S. (Mrs. William G. Phelps); Jane A. and Esther W., the two last named residing with their father in the city of Wilkes- Barre.

SAMUEL R. SHOEMAKER, retired farmer and manufacturer, of Wyoming borough, was born May 1, 1841, a son of Isaac C. and Catharine (Shoemaker) Shoemaker, natives of New York and Pennsylvania, respectively, and of German origin. He is a grandson of Jacob I. Shoemaker, who learned, while in New York, the saddler's trade, and afterward came to Wyoming, where he purchased a farm, operating this, and conducting "Shoemaker's Hotel" (now the " Pollock House"), of Wyoming. He is a great-grandson of Isaac Shoemaker, who was a farmer. He was reared on a farm, educated in the public schools and Wyoming Seminary, and, at the age of twenty-one, was admitted as a partner with his father and brother as I. C. Shoe- maker & Sons, owners and proprietors of the "Shoemaker Steam Gristmills " and the "Wyoming Woolen Mill;" they were also managers of a large farm until the death of the father, which occurred January 18, 1875, after which the firm became I. C. Shoe- maker's Sons until 1881, when our subject sold his interest to his brother, Jacob I., and turned his attention to farming on his half of the homestead. Mr. Shoemaker was married January 7, 1868, to Jennie, daughter of Rufus and Nancy (Harding) Carver, natives of Pennsylvania and of English origin. This union was blessed with two children, Archie C., born August 18, 1869, a dentist of Pittston, Pa., and Amy E., born February 17, 1891, died August 28, 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker attend the Methodist Church of Wyoming; Mr. Shoemaker is a member of the F. & A. M., I. O. O. F., K. of H., and Royal Arcanum; he was secretary of the Luzerne County Agricultural Society for 1891, and is secretary of the Wyoming Cemetery Association.

WILLIAM MEROER SHOEMAKER, Wilkes-Barre, was born in Kingston, Luzerne Co., · Pa., June 20, 1840, and is a son of Hon. Charles Denison and Stella Mercer (Sprigg) Shoemaker. His paternal grandfather was Elijah Shoemaker, who married Eliza- beth Denison, and his maternal grandfather was Samuel Mercer, son of Col. James Mercer, both of whom were prominent in the history of Lancaster county, Pa. Charles Denison Shoemaker was a prominent citizen of Luzerne county in his day, and was a graduate of Yale College. He was prothonotary, clerk of quarter ses- sions and oyer and terminer, and clerk of the Orphans' Court from January 26, 1824, to April, 1828, and from the latter date until August 21, 1830, he was register and recorder of Luzerne county. On the last named date he was appointed by Governor George Wolf, associate judge of Luzerne county, and served in that office several years. The last years of his life were speut in agricultural pursuits; he died August 1, 1861. The subject of this sketch was educated at Wyoming Institute and Yale College; studied law with Hon. Charles Denison and G. Byron Nicholson, and was admitted to the Luzerne county bar September 3, 1863. On August 24, 1861, hav- ing been elected and commissioned second lieutenant of Company L, Ninety-second Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, he was mustered into the United States service,

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and the regiment, being mounted, was known as the Ninth Cavalry. After nearly two years' service, during which time he was promoted to the first lieutenancy of his company and afterward to the office of adjutant of the regiment, he' was compelled, on April 7, 1863, to resign his commission for business reasons, and returned home, soon after which he engaged in the insurance business, in which he still continnes. On February 6, 1879, Mr. Shoemaker married Miss Ella Schenck Hunt, of Elizabeth, N. J., and they have one son, Harold Mercer Shoemaker.

WILLIAM S. SHOEMAKER was born in New Troy (now Wyoming), county of Luzerne, State of Pennsylvania, February 19, 1820. His grandfather, Isaac Shoe- maker, was of German descent, and came from Northampton county (near Raub- ville), Pa., to Wyoming Valley in 1807 or 1808, and bought out Benjamin Carpen- ter and his brother Gilbert. Here he reared a large family: three sons-Jacob, Samuel and Isaac-and four daughters-Katie, Rosanna, Annie and Sallie. He died in September, 1829, leaving a large and valuable property to his children, con- taining about 300 acres of land, a gristmill, sawmill and fulling-mill. Jacob I. Shoemaker, the father of the subject of this sketch, was married to Betsy Wohlge- muth, in Frey's Bush, N. Y., were he worked as a saddler. They had born to them, while in Frey's Bush, Isaac, Mary Ann and Katie. They then removed to Wyoming Valley, and had born to them Rosanna, William, Margaret and Sallie. The mother of this family died in 1838, and was the first person interred in Wyo- ming Cemetery; the father died in 1851, and was laid by her side.

William S. Shoemaker spent his early boyhood in the hotel, and on the farm of his father. His education was limited to the common schools of the vicinity in which he lived. Soon after becoming of age, on March 11, 1841, he was married by Elder Miller, of Abington, to Maria Tripp, who was the daughter of Isaac Tripp and Catharine La France, and who then resided in Providence township (now Scranton). They took up their residence in the old homestead of his grand- father, Isaac Shoemaker, a house built in "ye olden time," but which was subse- quently torn down and a new residence with modern improvements erected by him to take its place; here they always lived and here they died. As the fruits of this union they were blessed with seven children: Katie, who married Stephen J. Sharps; Rettie, who married Denton D. Durland; William H., who married (for his first wife) Jennie La Bar (who died soon after), and (for his second wife) Mary L. Stark; Martha (now deceased), married to David O. McCollum; Jennie, who married John A. Hutchins; Ira R., who married Martha H. Hatfield, and Stella, who married Fred Sengfelder. Soon after marriage Mr. Shoemaker formed a co-partnership with his brother in the milling business under the firm name of I. C. & W. S. Shoemaker. Wheat flour was their specialty, and Carbondale the market at that time, whither it was hauled by horses and wagons, taking two days to make the trip. They conducted the milling business together for several years with success and profit, W. S. finally selling his interest in the same to his brother Isaac. He also managed a large farm left him by his father. During the late war he was sutler for the One Hundred and Forty third Pennsylvania Volunteers, Col. Dana's regiment. He passed through the war encountering many hardships and narrow escapes with his stores, from the enemy, but succeeded in overcoming all obstacles, and was equal to any and all emergencies. After the war Mr. Shoemaker again returned to farming, which did not, however, long appear to suit his taste. Being of a speculative disposition, and a man of push, energy and perseverance, he contracted for several hundred acres of coal land adjoining his own, finally selling the coal to the Pennsylvania Coal Co. at a good profit, reserving the surface. He then bought the Perkins' Estate containing about 110 acres of good coal land, of which the same is now under lease to the Mt. Lookout Coal Co., the surface being laid out before his death in town lots, all of which is divided among his several children.

Mr. Shoemaker was active in politics, being an earnest worker for the success of the Republican party, and for several years was chairman of the Second Legis-

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lative District of Luzerne county. He held a one-third interest in the firm of Hutchins & Shoemaker until the death of Thomas Hutchins, when he and his son- in-law, John A. Hutchins, became equal partners, making fire brick and terra cotta pipe. He was also one of the projectors and stockholders of the Wyoming Shovel Works, to which he contributed liberally, and which was subsequently sold to Mrs. Payne Pettebone. He was brought up in the Presbyterian Church, his mother belonging to that faith, and was a great worker for this same Church; was one of the building committee for the new Presbyterian church, and one of its trustees for many years. Maria, his wife, was born July 23, 1822, in Providence, and died in Wyoming January 8, 1883. William S. Shoemaker died very suddenly July 17, 1884, and was interred by the side of his wife in the Wyoming cemetery, of which association he was president. He was a true friend, an affectionate father and a devoted husband.

WILLIAM H. SHOEMAKER, a farmer of Wyoming borough, was born September 25, 1847, at Wyoming. He is a son of William S. and Maria (Tripp) Shoemaker, natives of Pennsylvania and of German origin; the father was a farmer by occupation. He reared a family of seven children, six of whom are still living. Our subject was the third in the family in order of birth; he was educated in the common schools, begin- ning life as a farmer on the homestead. In 1885 he moved to Wyoming borough, where he has since resided. He built his cozy home in 1882, and owns five other houses in this borough and a large farm in Exeter borough. He also owns 110 acres of coal land in Wyoming borough. He was married October 9, 1867, to Miss Jennie La Bar, daughter of Rev. John La Bar. She died July 18, 1868. Mr. Shoemaker was again married, December 28, 1870, this time to Miss Mary L., daughter of John M. and Sarah (Davison) Stark. This happy union was blessed with three children, viz .: Clinton S., born March 9, 1873, and Gertrude T., born January 13, 1875, both graduates of the Wyoming high school; and Arthur W., born January 27, 1878, now attending the same institution. Mrs. Shoemaker is a member of the Methodist Church; Mr. Shoemaker is a member of the K. of H. In politics he is a sound Republican, and one of the prominent men of the borough.

IRA R. SHOEMAKER, farmer, Wyoming borough, was born March 7, 1852, in Wyoming, a son of Wiliam S. and Maria (Tripp) Shoemaker, natives of Pennsyl- vania and of German extraction; the former was a farmer of Wyoming borough and a son of Jacob Shoemaker. Our subject is one of a family of seven children, six of whom are now liviug. He was educated in the common schools and the Wyoming Seminary. He has followed farming all his life, and now lives on a farm left by his father. He was married October 25, 1882, to Martha H., daughter of James and Jane (Roberts) Hatfield, natives of New York State, and, respectively, of English and Welsh origin; her father was a farmer by occupation. This happy union is blessed with four children: Thomas W. H., born January 5, 1886; George H., born March 2, 1889; John R. H., born January 5, 1890, and James D. H., born October 17, 1892. Mr. Shoemaker is a sound Republican iu politics, and a substantial citizen of his borough.

HON. JOHN J. SHONK, Plymouth. This gentleman, who is one of Plymouth's oldest citizens now living, was born at Hope, N. J., March 21, 1815, a son of Michael and Beulah (Jenks) Shonk. He comes of German ancestry, his grandparents, John and Dorothy (Rosky) Shonk, having been natives of Germany. Michael Shonk, our subject's father, was born on the ocean, while his parents were en route for America. They settled in New Jersey, reared a family, and there Michael was educated and married. Iu 1821, he and his wife came to Plymouth, where they spent the remaining portion of their lives. Their family consisted of eight children, four girls and four boys, John J. being the second in order of birth, and the eldest son. His father being a poor man, young John, instead of attending school, was put to work in the coal mines, as soon as he could be made useful there. He followed this work until he had reached his sixteenth year, after which he engaged at various kinds of employment-such as working on boats, at public work, and on the railroad. In

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1854 he embarked in business for himself as coal operator, and was subsequently engaged as lumberman and tanner. He has dealt extensively in coal, operated coal mines, having employed as many as 400 men at one time, and he has always been a friend to the laboring man, kind and generous-almost to a fault. In business, he has succeeded in accumulating a handsome fortune. In religion, he is a Methodist, and at present is president of the board of directors of the Plymouth M. E. Church. In politics, he is a Republican, and has served as school director of Plymouth borough. In 1874 he was elected a member of the State Legislature from Luzerne county, and served four years in that capacity. Socially, he is a charter member of the I. O. O. F., and of the Encampment, Elm Lodge No. 642, Plymouth, Pa. Mr. Shonk has been three times married, and has buried two wives. His present wife, Amanda, is the mother of all his children now living, two sons and two daughters; she is a daughter of Thomas Davenport, and is a native of Plymouth, of French and Dutch descent. Their children now living are: Albert, who resides in Plymouth, engaged in real estate business; Hon. George W., a member of Congress (1892), and by pro- fession, a lawyer; Elizabeth, wife of E. F. Stephens, who is engaged in coal business in West Virginia; and Clarissa, now wife of C. W. McAlarney, an attorney, of Plymouth.

ALBERT D. SHONK, real estate agent, Plymouth, was born October 14, 1847, son of John J. and Amanda (Davenport) Shonk, natives of Pennsylvania, who were among the pioneer settlers of this Valley. Albert D. received his education in this county, and at an early age engaged in the brick business, which he carried on for nine years. He then established a lumber yard, and continued in that for twelve years, at the end of which time he engaged in handling real estate, and has since continued in that line. Mr. Shonk has been twice married: first, March 4, 1869, to Sarah E., daughter of David and Elizabeth (Singer) Hershberger, natives of Pennsylvania; she died fifteen years later. Five children were born to this union: Fannie, wife of George Renard, of Plymouth; Edwin H., a student at Wyoming Seminary; Mabel; John J. and William H., at home and attending the public schools. Mr. Shonk was again married, this time February 10, 1886, to Elizabeth, daughter of J. Madison and Jane (Ackly) Nesbitt, of Plymouth. Mr. Shonk has a kind and pleasing disposition, and to meet him once awakens a desire to become better acquainted with him.

GEORGE WASHINGTON SHONK comes of a German family, and the progenitor of the American branch thereof was John Shonk, who emigrated to America in Sep- tember, 1790, his son Michael, George Washington Shonk's grandfather, being born on the passage over. John Shonk settled with the Moravian community at Hope, Warren Co., N. J., where he prospered, and where the house he built is still standing. Michael Shonk married Beulah Jenks, who was of Welsh extraction, and whose family, traceable as far back as the year 900, sent numerous repre- sentatives to America in its earliest years, and gave numerous descendants who became men and women of distinction in many States. Michael moved from New Jersey to Plymouth in 1821, his son, John Jenks Shonk, the father of George Washington Shonk, being at the time but six years of age. John Jenks Shonk became a prominent figure in the business arena of Plymouth, and when but seven- teen years of age was engaged in connection with general real estate and mercantile operations, which he successfully prosecuted through many years. He also has extensive coal interests in Virginia, being a president and director of two coal companies, and of the Kanawha Railroad Company, penetrating the great Kanawha Coal region of that State. In 1874 he was elected to the State Legislature, and re-elected in 1876, the first time as a Prohibitionist and the second as a Republican. He was thrice married, his first two wives dying without issue surviving them. The third wife (George Washington's mother) was Amanda Davenport, whose ancestors were of New England origin, and among the earliest and most respected settlers in the Wyoming Valley. John Jenks Shonk amassed a considerable fortune by con- stant applicatiou to business, fortunate investments and provident habits. George

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Washington Shonk was born in Plymouth, April 26, 1850. After a preparatory course at the Wyoming Seminary, he entered Wesleyan University at Middletown, Conn., graduating therefrom in 1873. He studied law with Hon. Hubbard B. Payne, and was admitted to the bar September 29, 1876. On August 15, 1880, he married Ida E., daughter of Joseph Klotz, of West Pittston, and by this marriage they have two children: Herbert Bronson, born October 28, 1881, and Emily Weaon, born April 21, 1885. The Klotz family is of German origin, and has many and powerful branches in this country. Mr. Shonk soon acquired a con- siderable practice, both profitable in a business sense, and a strong testimony of the high esteem in which his legal abilities were held. He is a Republican in politics, taking an active interest in his party affairs, and in 1888 he was summoned to the chairmanship of the Republican County Committee, in which position he made a reputation and acquaintance that, in 1890, brought him the Republican nomination for Congress, to which he was returned as elected, receiving 14,555 votes, against 13,307 cast for his Democratic opponent, John B. Reynolds; though the county at the same time gave from 2,000 to 2,500 majority for the Democratic nominees for State offices. The seat was contested, but the committee conforming a majority of his political opponents, threw the contest out by a unanimous vote.

GERDON J. SHOOK, farmer, Forty Fort, is the second in a family of four children, two now living, of Jacob and Rachel (Fuller) Shook, natives of Germany. He was reared on a farm in Wyoming county, Pa., educated in the public schools, and at the age of twenty-one commenced life for himself as a farmer; also drove a milk wagon for four years. In 1857 he came to Forty Fort, and in 1875 purchased his present farm. Since he came to Forty Fort he has followed truck farming. He married Jane, daughter of Peter and Maria (Finch) Van Buskirk, natives of New Jersey, and has one child, Fredrick, who lives with his parents. Mr. Shook has in his possession an old cannon, known as " Old Buntie," found at Forty Fort about seventy-five years ago by Hiram Denison while plowing. It has been stolen several times, but at last has found a safe resting place with Mr. Shook. In politics he is a stanch Democrat.

J. R. SHOTWELL, mason and builder, Kingston, was born January 13, 1842, in Orange county, N. Y., and is a son of Joseph and Achy (Fulkerson) Shotwell, also natives of New York, the former of Holland, and the latter of French origin. Our subject was educated in the common schools of Wyoming county, and began life for himself at about the age of twenty-one, in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where he learned the mason's trade. He worked at masonry in Wilkes Barre and vicinity, and remained there until 1883, when he removed to Kingston, where he now resides. Mr. Shot- well is at present engaged in contracting and general building of masonry. On May 10, 1864, he enlisted in the Civil war, and was in active service at the front during the Peninsular Campaign, and participated in the battles of Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mills, White Oak Swamp, Charles City Cross Roads, Marvin Hill. Chantilly, second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, and Cold Harbor. He was mustered out with his regiment in June, 1865, at Harrisburg. Although having been a participator in some of the hardest fighting of the war, he fortunately escaped without receiving the slightest wound, and again returned to the quietude of civil life. Mr. Shotwell was married, September 30, 1866, to Miss Mary Simans, of Franklin township, this county. This union has been blessed with eight children: Sadie, Henry, Wilkes B., Iona, Frank, William, Mamie and Nathaniel. Mr. Shot- well is a member of the G. A. R. and the I. O. R. M .; in his political views he is Democratic.

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History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 203

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.) Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1532

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532