Hampshire County, West Virginia Biography of William A. SHANNON This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the sketch subject. 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. 261-262 Hampshire County WILLIAM A. SHANNON for a long period of years, in fact since early manhood, has been in the service of the Balti- more & Ohio Railway Company. For over ten years he has been the railway station agent at Springfield in Hamp- shire County. His name introduces one of the oldest of the pioneer families of this section of West Virginia. The founder of the name was his great-great-grandfather, who came from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and settled about a mile below the old farm at Springfield. William A. Shannon as a boy could see the ruins of his old pioneer home. He was a blacksmith, and a number of his descendants followed the same trade. His pioneer ancestor was buried in the old graveyard at Springfield in 1792, his grave being marked by a common stone slab. The next ancestor was his son, Thomas Shannon, who likewise was a blacksmith and de- voted his active life to his trade in his shop on the Spring- field townsite. He was laid to rest in the same graveyard as his father. Thomas Shannon married a Miss Walker, and among their children were: James, who settled at West Union, West Virginia; Andrew; and Mrs. William Donald- son, wife of a large slave holder and wealthy farmer be- tween Springfield and Green Spring in Hampshire County. Andrew Shannon, grandfather of the railway station agent, was born at Springfield, and died there in 1850, at the age of fifty-two. He also followed his father's trade, and was the village blacksmith of his generation. He was never in public service of any kind. He married Mary Cross as his first wife. She came from Wood County. They had four sons, Benjamin, who was a Springfield black- smith and a magistrate when he died; Thomas, the only soldier representative of the family who volunteered for the Mexican war, and removed to Ohio and died at Nelson- ville in that state; Robert, who also went to Ohio and prac- ticed medicine at Circleville; and James. James Shannon was born August 5, 1824, and was only a few weeks old when his mother died. He had only a sub- scription school education, but his inquiring mind led him to investigate and acquire a knowledge of many subjects outside his Immediate experience. He became a black- smith, and for many years worked as a partner with his brother Benjamin at Springfield. He was a member of the school board, a Presbyterian, a loyal and faithful Christian in all his years, was a Southern man in sympathy and a democrat in politics. He died in 1908. His wife was Eliza- beth Somerville, who was born in October, 1821, and died New Year's morning of 1900. She was the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Phillips) Somerville, who came to Hampshire County from Frederick County, Virginia, and settled at Romney, where the daughter Elizabeth was born. William Somerville was a saddler and harness maker, and died in 1865, at the age of eighty-three. The children of James Shannon and wife were: Charles, who followed his father's trade for a short time and later became a merchant at Springfield, where he died; Miss Mary, of Springfield; Emma, wife of Charles Towers, of Baltimore; Sallie, who died at the age of sixteen; William Andrew; and Hannah, Mrs. Elwood Parsons, of Springfield. William A. Shannon was born August 25, 1861, and was reared and educated at Springfield. At the age of twenty- one he entered the service of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway Company as a track man, was promoted to section fore- man, then to supervisor, and in October, 1911, took over the duties of station agent at Springfield as successor of J. D. Pownall. He has given over forty years to the serv- ice of the railway company, has performed his duties with a high degree of fidelity and efficiency, and has also per- formed a good part as a public spirited citizen of his home community. For twenty-eight years Mr. Shannon has been a member of the Springfield School Board, and is its president. He is a democrat, is an elder in the Presbyterian Church of Springfield, a former superintendent of the Sunday school and is now assistant superintendent. At Springfield, November 27, 1884, Mr. Shannon married Miss Fannie C. Parsons, daughter of William C. and Louise (Jarboe) Parsons, her mother a daughter of Washington Jarboe. Her father was born near Springfield and her mother at Piedmont, West Virginia. William Parsons was a Confederate soldier. Mrs. Shannon was born September 16, 1864, seventh in a family of thirteen children, eleven of whom grew up and nine are still surviving, namely: Elwood, of Springfield; Mrs. Nannie Parker, of Lincoln, Nebraska; Mrs. Shannon; Mrs. Sallie Hughes, of Moundsville, West Virginia; William, of Cumberland, Maryland; Miss Louise, of Springfield; John, of Piedmont; James and Charles, both of Springfield. Mr. and Mrs. Shannon have one son, Augustus, born De- cember 25, 1885. He was educated in the public schools, is a traveling salesman, and during the World war served as a member of the Hampshire County Draft Board.