John P. Shirk Biography


	This biography appears on page 1089 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JOHN P. SHIRK. 

	John P. Shirk is the present county auditor of Faulk county and 
is well known in business circles, being financially interested in a 
number of important enterprises which are contributing to the material 
development of that region. His life record had its beginning in 
Muscatine county, Iowa. His father, John H. Shirk, was born in 
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, March 12, 1835, and at the time of the Civil 
war served as a private of the Seventy-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteer 
Infantry. Being captured at Chickamauga he was taken to Libby prison 
and while there was among those who managed to effect an escape by 
tunneling their way out, but after being out two weeks he was 
recaptured and taken to Belle Isle and later was sent to Andersonville, 
being exchanged in 1865. He was a man of considerable local prominence 
in Pennsylvania and represented Lancaster county in the state 
legislature. In 1883 he came to South Dakota, his family following in 
1884, and here he engaged in farming. In 1888 he was elected register 
of deeds, serving four years, after which he retired to the farm and 
also taught school in his later years, until his death, which occurred 
on the 28th of October, 1913. His wife, who bore the maiden name of 
Margaret J. Kuhn, was born at Bedford, Ohio, January 10, 1844, and now 
resides at Portland, Oregon. Their family numbered seven children, of 
whom John P. was the fourth in order of birth. 

	The subject of this sketch received a common-school education and 
taught school for two years, after which, in 1898, he took a business 
and stenographic course at the Northern Illinois Normal School, at 
Dixon, Illinois. Mr. Shirk then went to Chicago where he held a 
position as stenographer for three and one half years, when he returned 
to South Dakota and engaged in farming and stock-raising, teaching 
school during the winters. In 1906 he was elected register of deeds and 
served in that capacity for four years, after which time he returned to 
the farm. In 1914 he was elected to the office of county auditor, and 
he is filling this position of trust with the same promptness, accuracy 
and fidelity which has characterized all his public service. 

	In politics Mr. Shirk is a republican, and is identified with the 
progressive wing of the party. He still retains his farming interests 
and is closely identified with the progress of his community.