San Bernardino County CA Archives Biographies.....Shay, Walter A. June 29, 1866 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com October 31, 2010, 6:30 pm Source: California and Californians, Vol. IV, Published 1932, Pages 105 - 106 Author: The Lewis Publishing Company WALTER A. SHAY is a man whose character and ability have found one medium of admirable expression in his long, loyal and efficient administration as sheriff of his native county. In that county, which is that of San Bernardino, he has served consecutively as county sheriff since his initial election to the office, in 1918, but he had previously had a broad and varied experience in service of constabulary order, including that of chief of police in his present home City of San Bernardino. His long retention of the office of sheriff affords significant voucher for his secure place in popular confidence and esteem in his native county. Mr. Shay was born in San Bernardino County on the 29th of June, 1866, and is a son of Walter A. and Eliza (Goshen) Shay, the former a native of Nova Scotia and the latter of the State of Arkansas, her death having occurred in September, 1869, and her husband having survived her thirty years, he having been severely injured when thrown from a horse in 1899 and his death having occurred a week later, on the 2d of September of that year. Walter A. Shay, Sr., was reared in Nova Scotia and as boy and youth he there learned the trade of cooper, to which he there gave his attention until he found opportunity to divert himself from a vocation that had never been to his liking. He was a young man of vigor and ambition when he became one of the historic California argonauts of 1849. He journeyed to California by way of the Isthmus of Panama, disembarked in San Francisco in the year that heralded the historic discovery of gold in this state, and in the earlier period of his residence here he had a quota of experience in prospecting for and mining gold. He soon left the gold fields, however, and he became a pioneer in general ranching and livestock enterprise in San Bernardino County, where he purchased and developed the valuable estate long known as the Shay Ranch, and he did much to further industrial and civic development and progress in the county that continued to represent his home until the pitiable accident caused his death, in 1899, as previously noted. The present sheriff of San Bernardino County gained his early education in the public schools of the county seat, and in the meanwhile had practical experience on his father's ranch. In his early operations of independent order he was engaged in ranch enterprise, but during a term of years he gave major attention to overland freighting between San Bernardino and various desert points, his service including transportation of lumber taken from the San Bernardino Mountains. He retired from this transportation business in 1898, and a year later became a deputy in the office of the sheriff of San Bernardino County. He was thus retained four years, and shortly afterward, in 1903, he was elected city marshal of San Bernardino. He retained this position two years and then was appointed chief of police, by Mayor H. M. Barton. On retiring from this office, two years later, he immedi¬ately assumed the position of special agent for the east branch of the Pacific Electric Railroad. After being thus engaged four years he again assumed the office of chief of police in San Bernardino, under appointment of Mayor S. W. McNabb. He gave another two years of service in this capacity and then accepted the position of special agent for the Arizona Division of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, on its coast line. This service engaged his attention four years, and by appointment of Mayor George W. Waxon he then resumed administration as chief of the San Bernardino police department. He served two years, and his work was highly valued, as it had been during his former two terms. Upon his retirement from this municipal service he gave eighteen months of characteristically effective service in the capacity of chief special investigator for the district attorney of San Bernardino County. In 1918 he was elected county sheriff, and of this office, by successive reelections, he has since continued the honored and efficient incumbent. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, and he is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Encampment. He is a California native son who has honored his state by his sterling character and his effective service in positions of important public trust and responsibility. In March, 1892, Mr. Shay was united in marriage to Miss Matilda McCoy, who likewise was born and reared in San Bernardino County, she being a daughter of the late William W. and Elizabeth McCoy. Of the four children of Mr. and Mrs. Shay one is deceased. Dr. Weston W., eldest of the surviving children, was graduated in the dental department of the University of California and is now engaged in the practice of his profession in Los Angeles, he having served as a lieutenant in the Dental Corps of the United States Army in the World war period. Doctor Shay married Miss Helen Newhart, and their two children are a son, Robert, and a daughter, Marilyn. Emmett L., the younger of the sons, was graduated in the high school of San Bernardino and in the World war period he served in the United States Navy, with assignment to the San Pedro naval base. He is now serving as deputy sheriff under the administration of his father. He married Miss Violet Wixon, and they have two children, William and Jack. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sanbernardino/bios/shay1076gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb