Jackson County, West Virginia Biography of REUBEN PERRY SHINN This file 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. 422-423 REUBEN PERRY SHINN for many years has been one of the most prominent, and influential figures in the agricul- tural, financial and public affairs of Jackson County. He is still busy directing his extensive fanning operations, is president of the First National Bank of Ripley, and in addition is also a member of the State Senate. Mr. Shinn was born in Mason County, West Virginia, July 20, 1860. His grandfather, Samuel Shinn, was born in what is now West Virginia in 1804, spent the greater part of his life on a farm in Jackson County, and died there in 1884. George W. Shinn, father of the Ripley banker, was born in Mason County in 1834, grew up and married there, and about 1863 removed to Jackson County and owned a fine farm at Grass Lick near Fairplain. His death occurred in 1897 at Webster Springs in Webster County. George W. Shinn was also a man of prominence in the public affairs of his section of the state. He was a pioneer republican, served eighteen years as a member of the County Court of Jackson County, and also represented the county in the House of Delegates when the capital was at Wheeling. He was a Mason and one of the very liberal and active members of the United Brethren Church. George W. Shinn married Elizabeth Stone, who was born in that portion of old Mason County, now Jackson County, in 1825, and died at her homestead in Jackson County in 1911. Of her children the first was Samuel F., who owns and operates a farm of 1,000 acres at Parchment near Eipley; James O. has a farm of 500 acres near Point Pleasants in Mason County; Permelia is the wife of Archie A. Reynolds, a merchant and farmer at Evans in Jackson County; Reuben P. is the fourth among the children. James A. and his younger brother, Nathan Ulysses Grant Shinn, own jointly a big farm of 1,200 acres in Jackson County, and James also has the distinction of being a former sheriff of Jackson County for four years. Reuben Perry Shinn spent his years to the age of twenty- one on his father's farm, and made the best possible use of his advantages in the rural schools. When he left home to go to work on his own responsibility he took no capital and yet, like his brothers, he has achieved remarkable suc- cess as a farmer as well as in other fields of business. Senator Shinn has never been completely divorced from the practical phases of agriculture, and though he has had his residence in Ripley since November, 1912, he keeps in the closest touch with his extensive farming operations. In- dividually he owns 2,300 acres of valuable land on Grass Lick and in other parts of the county. His farming is a diversified proposition, and he -usually keeps from 250 to 300 head of cattle on his lands. He is also associated with a syndicate composed of Stareher Brothers, W. H. O'Brien T. J. Sayre, W. Walker and himself in the ownership of 2,000 acres of farm land in Jackson County. He owns a large amount of real estate in Ripley, including one of the finest homes of the city. Mr. Shinn has been president of the First National Bank of Ripley for the past twelve years. This bank was estab- lished under a state charter June 20, 1893, and was first called the Valley Bank of Ripley, but has been a national bank since August 4, 1915. The officers are R. P. Shinn, president; S. G. Stareher, vice president; and George E. Straley, cashier. The bank is capitalized at $35,000, has surplus and profits of $6,500, and deposits of approximately $400,000. Mr. Shinn is a stockholder in the O. J. Morrison Store Company at Charleston and Clarksburg, and is vice presi- dent of the Jackson County Grocery Company. For many years he has been a leader in the republican party in his section of the state. For eight years he was chairman of the county committee, for two terms was a member of the Fourth Congressional District Committee, and he was one of the state electors on the republican ticket in 1916, voting for Mr. Hughes for President. Mr. Shinn has twice been sheriff of Jackson County. He was first elected in November, 1904, serving the constitutional limit of four years, from 1905 to 1909. After an interval of four years he was again elected, in November, 1912, filling the office from 1913 to 1917. In November, 1920, he was elected a member of the State Senate, representing the district of Mason, Jackson and Roane counties for a term of four years. In the session of 1921 he was chairman of the agricultural committee, and a member of the finance, educational, fish and game and other committees. To the full extent of his influence and means Senator Shinn was a supporter of the Government at the time of the World war, and took a personal interest in the success of the various drives in his county. He is a past grand of Ripley Lodge No. 30, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. At Grass Lick in Jackson County in 1882 he married Miss Artemisia Shamblin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Shamblin, now deceased. Her father owned a large farm at Grass Lick. Mr. and Mrs. Shinn have four chil- dren: Cora, a teacher in the high school at Ripley, is the wife of Charles W. Lively. Belle is the wife of David L. Rogers, who owns a 200-acre farm and also helps operate the Shinn farms at Grass Lick. James B. is also associated with his father in his farming operations at Grass Lick. Walter Warren is a member of the engineering staff of the State Roads Commission.