CRAWFORD COUNTY OHIO - BIO: A. SHUNK, SR. (1881)

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>From the The Ohio Biographies Project
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~usbios/Ohio/mnpg.html
a part of The U.S. Biographies Project
http://members.tripod.com/~debmurray/usbios/usbiog.html

Transcribed by Bonnie Walsh.

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CRAWFORD COUNTY OHIO
HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY AND OHIO
Baskin & Battey, Historical Publishers
186 Dearborn Street, Chicago
1881.
p.813 

A. SHUNK, SR., Bucyrus, whose portrait appears in the above book, is the son of Simon
and Susan (Harmon) Shunk, and was born March 23, 1797, in Somerset Co., Penn. He was
raised on a farm, and was denied the advantages of schooling, living at home until he was
21. He then made himself tools and commenced working at the carpenter bench, and for
twenty one years followed this occupation in his native State. He seemed especially gifted in
this line, for, when only 8 years old, he made a miniature wagon, perfect in every particular.
He never served an apprenticeship, a fact which shows his natural skill in the direction of
mechanics. In 1843, he bought a patent right for the manufacture of a barshear plow, in
Greene Co., Ohio, and, in the following spring, commenced the manufacture of plows at
Xenia, Ohio. He also kept a grocery and tannery for three years. He next worked at Canal
Fulton, Stark Co., for about a year and a half. In October, 1854, he came to Bucyrus and
started a plow factory. He had about $1,000 capital, and built a brick shop the second year
of his residence, and then had a surplus of $500. He is now sole owner of the entire block,
which has all been made by his own efforts. They turn out about 1,400 plows per year, of
six different kinds, and which have quite an extended reputation, there being over 100 local
agencies in four different States. Since he made his first plow, he has made all his own
patterns, and has, during the last year, invented a pattern which excels them all. We doubt if
there are many men, so advanced in years as Mr. Shunk, who display so much business
activity. He is a member of the English Lutheran Church, and has been since his 17th year.
His father was in the war of the Revolution, serving under the great Washington. He was
married, Feb. 1, 1816, to Miss Mary Banfort, of Somerset Co., Penn. There are twelve
children living. Of this first marriage there are Delilah, wife of Mr. Stevenson, of Upper
Sandusky; Allen, machinist at Fort Wayne; Lavinia, wife of Joseph Miller, of Springfield,
Ohio; Marian, wife of N.F. Albee, of Kent, Mich.; and Adam. His wife died Aug. 21, 1844.
In 1845, he married Catharine Bauch, of Springfield, Ohio. Of this marriage, there are
Francis, Nelson, Theodore, Isaac, Thomas W., John L. and Katie.