John H. Shields Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 657-658

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


JOHN H. SHIELDS, one of the prosperous farmers of Athol township, in 
Spink county, is one of the sons of the soil who has devoted the 
greater part of his life to this pursuit, and has profited by his 
experiences. He is now the possessor of a fine estate, and also owns 
property which he rents to his son, and the appearance of both 
properties is one of thrift and excellent management. Mr. Shields has a 
comfortable home on the southwest quarter of section nine, with 
sufficient income to afford even the luxuries of a rural home. 

Our subject was born in Allen county, Ohio, June 19, 1846. His father 
was a farmer by occupation, and located in Dakota in 1883, afterward 
removing to Kansas where he spent one year, and then went to Oklahoma, 
his death occurring in that place in February, 1895. The family had 
lived in Iowa during the early years of the life of our subject, seven 
miles northwest of Vinton, and it was here young Shields was reared and 
educated. He assisted his father in the farm work, and at the breaking 
out of the Civil war was ready to answer his country's call, and 
accordingly enlisted in the Fifth Iowa Infantry, but on account of his 
youth his father objected to his going to the front, and he gave up the 
idea. He commenced farming for himself in 1867 near the old home, where 
he remained until the spring of 1884. He then went to Spink county, 
where his parents had preceded him, and purchased a quarter in section 
4 in Groveland township near Athol. He remained here until 1890 and 
then removed to his present location, four miles northeast of Athol, on 
the southwest quarter of section 9 in Athol township. He is the owner 
of three hundred and twenty acres and rents three quarter-sections. He 
has four hundred and eighty acres under cultivation, principally in 
wheat, and engages in stock raising to some extent, wintering about ten 
horses and seventeen head of cattle. In January, 1899, he purchased the 
south half of section 15 which he rents to his son, Frank. When Mr. 
Shields came from Iowa he brought with him, among other things, two 
splendid teams of Clydesdale horses, which were consumed together with 
his other live stock on the burning of his barn, which was struck by 
lightning within one year of his arrival in the state. 

Mr. Shields was married September 14, 1864, to Araminta York, of Mt. 
Auburn, Iowa. Five children blessed this union, as follows: Helen, 
deceased; Jessie, deceased; Elmer, deceased; Frank; and Bertha, a 
resident of Wichita, Kansas. The family was called upon to bear the 
loss of wife and mother in 1895. Mr. Shields remarried July 13, 1897, 
Emma Hardee becoming his wife. 

Our subject was one of the public spirited men of his locality, 
thorough and systematic as a farmer, and is held in the highest esteem 
by all with whom he comes in contact. He is strong in his convictions 
for right, and a friend of any movement for the growth of the county 
and state. He votes for Prohibition, and the ticket of the "G. O. P." 
entire. He is well versed in matters of the day, and his judgment in 
matters of importance is worthy a following. He has given every detail 
of his work his careful attention, and has made a decided success of 
life, and his adopted state may well be proud of such citizens as he 
has proven himself to be.