U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shannon, Samuel H. (b. 1866) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 475-476 SAMUEL H. SHANNON, postmaster at Clay Court House, Clay County, West Virginia, a member of the mercantile firm of Rhodes, Shannon & Company, and also a large lumber dealer, is one of the prominent men of his section. He was born June 21, 1866, on a farm in Clay County, and is a son of Rev. Norval W. and Susanna (Summers) Shannon, of Nicholas County. Rev. Norval W. Shannon was a minister in the Methodist Church. He was born in 1817 at Morgantown, Monongalia County, Virginia, now West Virginia, and was a son of Benjamin Shannon. The latter, with his brother John, founded the family in this part of the country. They were born in Ireland and, after immigrating to America, became wholesale merchants at Philadelphia for some years, but later removed to Morgantown, Virginia, now West Virginia. There he married and had five children born to him, his three sons being Norval W., Robert and Frank. Benjamin Shannon engaged in a milling business at Morgantown and then moved to Weston and later to Clarksburg, and to Ohio in 1858 where he died in 1861. Rev. Norval W. Shannon had only a meager common-school training, and spent his earlier years in teaching school and in as close an application to his books as he could. Thus he prepared for his ministerial work. Samuel H. Shannon was educated in the common schools and had the advantages of but one term at the Normal School at Concord, Mercer County, West Virginia. He began teaching school after finishing his own course and continued to teach in Clay County, 14 terms in all, until 1899. He has been very prominent in the political life of his section and has been much honored by his party. For three years he was jailer of the county jail, and from 1896 to 1901 served as a justice of the peace. On January 1, 1892, he was elected mayor of Clay and served through his term to the satisfaction of all concerned. For three years he served as trustee of District No. 5, and for three years was a member of the Town Council during which period the town was incorporated. On August 8, 1899, he was appointed postmaster by the late President McKinley and is still the popular incumbent of the office. Both in 1900 and in 1902 he was a delegate to the State convention of his party and since the former year has been a member of the congressional committee and secretary of the county committee. He was nominated by the County Court and later appointed by the State Board of Health as a member of the county board. In 1892 Mr. Shannon was married to Maggie E. Reed, who is a daughter of Solomon Reed of Clay County. They have a family of four children, viz.: Irma Blanche, born December 10, 1892; William Halley, born March 10, 1895; Susan Berenice, born February 7, 1897; and Rebecca Olive, born June 29, 1900. Mr. Shannon and family belong to the Methodist Church. In fraternal association Mr. Shannon has long been actively interested and has taken all the honors in the Junior Order of United American Mechanics of which he is counsellor, a position he has held for four years; and he belongs to Zara Lodge, No. 116, Knights of Pythias, and to Pisgah Lodge, No. 180, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Clay. In this order he has filled all the minor offices and is now vice-grand of the lodge. Mr. Shannon is much esteemed in his vicinity and is identified with many of the leading business interests. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Clay County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/clay/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------