Abraham Shepherd
It is a pleasure to study the subject of this sketch, and the more we study the more we find to admire. He came from Virginia's best blood. His grandfather was Captain Thomas Shepherd, a title probably coming from the French and Indian War, and his grandmother was Elizabeth Van Meter, daughter of John Van Meter. His father, John Shepherd, was born in 1749 and in 1773 was married to Martha Nelson, born in 1750. To them were born seven children, six of whom were born in Shepherdstown, Va., and one at Wheeling Creek, Ohio. Capt. Thomas Shepherd died in 1776, and among other property, left a new mill, which fell to his son, John, father of our subject. John, however, was a Revolutionary soldier. He was a private in Capt. Wm. Cherry's Company, 4th Virginia Infantry, from April, 1777, to March, 1778. The regiment was commanded by Col. Thomas Elliott and Major Isaac Beall. John's brother, Abraham, was a captain in the 11th Virginia Regulars. Captain Abraham Shepherd, on August 13, 1787, entered 1000 acres of land, Entry No. 1060, on Virginia Military Warrant, 290, for his own services, at Red Oak, in Brown county. This was surveyed November 3, 1791, by Nathaniel Massie deputy surveyor; Duncan McKenzie and Robert Smith, being chain carriers and Thomas Stout, marker. He had an uncle, David, who was a colonel in the Revolutionary War and so came of good fighting stock. The subject of our sketch was born August 13, 1776, at Shepherdstown, now Jefferson county, Va. He must have drank in patriotism with his mother's milk. Next year his father was in the service and so continued most of the time during the war. It seems his father operated a flour mill from 1781 to 1787, and his son Abraham learned something of the business. It is said Abraham received a liberal education for his time and surroundings. The details of that education we do not know, but do know that he learned the operations of his father's mill and the art of land surveying. In 1787, John Shepherd, with his family, moved to Wheeling Creek, Ohio, about eight miles from Wheeling, W. V. Here were already located two brothers and a married sister of John Shepherd. In 1793 he removed to Limestone, Ky., where he remained two years. In 1795 he removed to what was then Adams County, Ohio, but what is now Red Oak, in Brown County, locating on the tract entered by his brother, Captain Abraham Shepherd. In 1799, he married Margaret Moore and was at that time living at Red Oak. Soon after this he bought a part of Capt. Phillip Slaughter's survey 588 on Eagle Creek and built a brick house on it, now owned by Baker Woods. Here he also built and operated the mill afterwards known as Pilson's Mill. He also laid out and dedicated the cemetery on his lands now known as Baird's cemetery. In October, 1803, he was elected one of the three representatives of Adams County in the lower house, and took his seat December 5, 1803. He continued to represent Adams County in the house by successive re-elections till February 4, 1807. He remained out till December 4, 1809, when he again represented Adams County in the house and continued to do so until January 30, 1811. At the session in December, 1809, he received two votes for senator, but Alexander Campbell was elected. In the fifth legislative session, December 1, 1806, to February 4, 1807, he was speaker of the house, while at the same session Thomas Kirker, also from Adams County, was speaker of the senate. He seems to have dropped out of the legislature from January 30, 1811, until December 4, 1815, but in the meantime he was not idle. He was in the war of 1812 as captain of a company and had two of his men shot by Indians as they were returning home in 1812. In 1813 he was out in the war again as captain of a company in Major Edward's Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Brigade, 2d Division, Ohio Militia. In the fourteenth legislative session, December 4, 1815, to February 27, 1816, he was a member of the senate from Adams. In the fifteenth legislative session, December 2, 1816, to January 28, 1817, he represented Adams County in the senate and was speaker at the same time Ex-Gov. Kirker was speaker of the house, he and Shepherd having exchanged offices from the fifth legislative session. In 1816, he was one of the eight presidential electors of Ohio and cast his vote for James Monroe. Brown County was set off from Adams and Clermont by the legislature December 27, 1817, and Abraham Shepherd procured the passage of the act in the senate.
In 1818 the first court was held in Brown County, at Ripley, by Josiah Collett, presiding Judge, with James Moore, William Anderson and James Campbell, associate judges. At this term, Abraham Shepherd, was appointed clerk for a term of seven years, and served a full term. In this period he was an active politician and practically controlled affairs in Brown County.
In 1825, he was sent back to the senate from Adams County and Brown. During this twenty-fourth legislative session, from December 8, 1825, to February 3, 1826, he was appointed a member of the state board of equalization for the sixth district, the first state board appointed. In the twenty-fifth legislative session, December 4, 1826, to January 31, 1827, he was again in the senate for Adams and Brown counties, and again its speaker. This closed his active career in public office.
He was a Presbyterian in faith and practice, and long a ruling elder in that church. The records of the Chillicothe Presbytery show that he attended it as a delegate in 1823, 1830 and 1832. He was master of a Masonic lodge at Ripley in 1818 and appears to have taken a great interest in the order for a period of years. In private life Abraham Shepherd was quite an energetic character. In 1815, he built and operated Pilson's mills on Eagle Creek then in Adams County, now in Jefferson township, Brown County. He held this until about 1817 when he sold it and went to Ripley. He built the Buckeye mill on Red Oak and operated it with steam as early as 1825. While engaged in this he was a pork packer.
He was of pleasing address, large and portly. No picture of him was preserved or can be obtained. He was always courteous and gentlemanly in his intercourse with others, and was popular with all sorts and conditions of his fellow men in his county. He was possessed of unbounded energy and wonderful perseverance, and naturally became a man of influence and importance in the community in which he dwelt. As a legislator and as presiding officer of the two houses, his services commanded the respect and commendation of his constituents and his fellow members. In his farming, he excelled his neighbors and made more improvements on his farm than any of them, and did it more rapidly. As a miller, he did more business than his competitors and the same is true of his pork packing. In 1834 it is said he met with financial reverses, and in consequence removed to Putnam County, Illinois, with his family. In that county he lived as a farmer, a quiet retired life, until his death on January 16, 1847.
He was the father of ten children by his first wife, who died in 1818. All his children by his first wife are deceased. He married Miss Harriet Kincaid on October 19, 1819, and by her he had two children, Andrew K., born November 18, 1820, and Martha Ann, March 1, 1823, and both of whom are now living at Crete, Neb. His second wife died November 10, 1884, at the residence of her two children.
When the slavery question came to be agitated, he became strongly anti-slavery. While acting with the Democratic party in his earlier career on account of slavery he abandoned it and became an Abolitionist. His convictions on every subject were positive and strong. His influence on his community, either in politics or religion was great and it was always on the side of humanity, right and justice.
From History of Adams County, Ohio from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - by Nelson W. Evans and Emmons B. Stivers - West Union, Ohio - Published by E. B. Stivers - 1900