Gilmer County, West Virginia Biography of JOHN N. SHACKLEFORD This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 562 Gilmer JOHN N. SHACKLEFORD, whose death occurred February 18, 1922, resided at Glenville, judicial center of Gilmer County. He was a citizen of distinctive loyalty and pro- gressiveness. and the estimate placed upon him in his native state was indicated by the fact that in the election of 1920 he was chosen a member of the State Senate, as representa- tive of the Tenth Senatorial District, which comprises the counties of Braxton, Gilmer, Pocahontas, Webster and Cal- houn. Senator Shackleford was born in Upshur County, West Virginia, February 18, 1860, a son of Robert C. and Lucy C. (Hodges) Shackleford, both natives of Virginia, where the former was born in Albemarle County and the latter in Orange County. The father's early educational advantages were limited, but his strong and alert mind and determined ambition enabled him effectually to overcome this youthful handicap and to become a man of broad information and mature judgment. Both he and his wife were young at the time of the removal of their respective families to what is now Upshur County, West Virginia, where they were reared to adult age and where their marriage was solemnized. Robert C. Shackleford settled on a farm near the present Lorentz Railroad station in Upshur County, where he de- veloped and improved a productive homestead of 134 acres and became one of the successful exponents of farm indus- try in that county. He was a staunch democrat, and, while never a seeker of public office, his civic loyalty was signally shown in his effective service as a member of the Board of Education of the Buckhannon, or county-seat. District. He and his wife were zealous members of the Methodist Protestant Church. Of their eleven children the Hon. John N., of this review, was the eldest; Martha E. is the wife of George L. Crites, of Buckhannon, Upshur County; Lucy E. is the wife of Wayne Meredith, of Fairmont, Marion County; Lettie is the wife of Lawrence Haymond, of Cin- cinnati, Ohio; O. F. resides at Buckhannon, TJpshur County; Isa M. is the wife of Arthur K. Hinkle, of Pair- mont; Sarah E. is the wife of Ira Smith, of Fairmont; and Sidney R. resides on the old homestead farm in TJpshur County. The remaining three are deceased. John N. Shackleford early gained practical lessons of enduring value through his youthful association with the varied activities of the home farm, and after having profited by the advantages of the common schools he attended the West Virginia State Normal School at Glenville. He taught eleven terms of school, with marked success, and in connection with business enterprise he early began to deal in live stock and coal lands. For twelve years he was a traveling commercial salesman, and in connection with his various productive activities he gained substantial success and secure standing as a reliable and progressive man of affairs. Senator Shackleford was ever a staunch advocate of the principles of the democratic party, and was influential in the local councils and campaign activities of the party. In November, 1920, he was elected to the State Senate, and in the general assembly of the West Virginia Legislature for 1920-21 he was a member of the finance committee of the Senate and loyally supported appropriations for the benefit of the various institutions of the state, especially those of educational order. Through his influence was made an appropriation for the construction and equipping of a boys dormitory at the State Normal School in his home city of Glenville. He served also on the conference com- mittee of the Senate, and it is uniformly conceded that he did much to gain and retain the requisite appropriations for the colleges and schools of the state. As a member of the Senate he gave to the new state road from Charles- ton to the Pennsylvania line the name of Morgan Highway. Senator Shackleford was the owner of the old homestead farm upon which he was born and reared, in Upshur County, and aside from its intrinsic value he placed high esti- mate upon the property by reason of the gracious memories and associations which it represented. He was liberal and progressive as a citizen and an active member of the Bap- tist Church, as was also his wife, whose death occurred February 16, 1919, no children having been born to them. The maiden name of Mrs. Shackleford was Gertrude Bell, and she was a daughter of William W. and Sarah A. (Bran- non) Bell, of Gilmer County.