BIOGRAPHY: Cyrus SHEPHERD, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 472-3
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CYRUS SHEPHERD, former school principal, and the present superintendent of the 
Conemaugh coal mines, is a son of William W. and Sarah (Beatty) Shepherd, and 
was born in Young township, Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, September 6, 1851. 
The earliest member of the Shepherd family in Pennsylvania came from England and 
was of English parentage; as well as of English nativity. In direct line from 
this emigrant ancestor was Joshua Shepherd, who came in early life to two miles 
south of Indiana, in Indiana county, where he operated a woolen mill for many 
years. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and died at eighty-
three years of age. His son, William W. Shepherd, was born 1819, in Bedford 
county, learned the trade of carder and spinner, and worked in a number of 
woolen mills in different counties of Pennsylvania. He now resides in Franklin 
borough, to which he removed in 1892. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, like his father before him. He married Sarah Beatty, who was born March 
4, 1817, in New York city, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
Her father, William Beatty, was born and reared in Ireland, where he received a 
good education, which fitted him for teaching, which he followed, to some 
extent, after coming to this country, although he gave his time and attention 
chiefly to farming. Mr. Beatty landed in New York city, but soon removed to 
Indiana county, where he died in 1858, aged eighty-five years.
     Cyrus Shepherd was reared principally near the Shepherd woolen mills of his 
grandfather, which were two miles south of the county-seat of Indiana county. He 
received his education in the common schools and the Indiana State Normal school 
of Pennsylvania. Leaving the normal school he turned his attention to teaching, 
which he followed successfully for thirteen years, the latter part of which time 
was spent in graded school work. He was principal of the East Conemaugh school 
for two years, and had served one term as principal of the Franklin borough 
school, with flattering offers from larger schools, when his services were 
solicited by the Conemaugh Coal company. He went into the company's service in 
1890, and since 1892 has been superintendent of their mines, a position which he 
has filled efficiently, though its duties are many, and sometimes require more 
than usual ability and skill for their successful discharge. Mr. Shepherd, while 
generously liberal in religious opinion, yet is distinctively a Presbyterian in 
faith and practice, and has been for several years a consistent and useful 
member of the Presbyterian church. Well informed upon the political issues of 
the country for the last twenty-five years, yet he is neither party leader nor 
politician.
     In 1886 Mr. Shepherd was united in marriage with Alice Taylor, a daughter 
of Henry Taylor, a resident of West Wheatfield township, Indiana county.