Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 385-386; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Samuel H. Shelly was for twenty-two years identified with
educational matters in this county as one of its most earnest,
intelligent and progressive teachers. He has now abandoned that
profession and is giving his attention to farming. He has a
substantially improved farm, very pleasantly located on section 10,
Woodland Township.
Mr. Shelly was born in Augusta County, Va., November 14, 1842.
His father, Daniel Shelly was also born in that section of the country,
his birth taking place in the year 1806. He was a son of John Shelly,
who is supposed to have been a native of Pennsylvania. The Shellys are
of English descent. The grandfather of our subject settled in Augusta
County, Va., in an early day and there owned and farmed one hundred
acres of land. He reared quite a large family of children. He was a
Democrat in politics.
The early life of Daniel Shelly was passed on his father's farm
in Virginia, and he learned the trade of a wagon-maker. After he
reached maturity he carried on agriculture on a small farm and at the
same time engaged at his trade until 1856. In that year he came to this
county, making the journey by wagon in six weeks' time. He and his
family camped out on the way, and in coming over the Alleghany
Mountains they camped and slept on the summit. He settled on section
16, Woodland Township, where he purchased one hundred and eighty acres
of land, which was partially improved. He cleared up a part of the
place and made further substantial improvements. He erected a large
frame house on the homestead in 1866, and then put up other suitable
buildings from time to time. His extensive farming operations brought
him in good profits and placed him among the substantial men of the
county. He was a man of deep religious convictions and was a member of
the Presbyterian Church. He was a Democrat previous to the Rebellion,
but during the war acted with the Republicans. His life was rounded out
in 1888, at the advanced age of eighty-two years. In early life he had
married Catherine Haffner, the mother of our subject. She was born in
Augusta County, Va., in 1809 and died in 1875. She was a member of the
German Reformed Church the greater part of her life. Eight of the nine
children whom she bore grew to maturity, namely: David F., Margaret
(Mrs. Horn), Sarah (Mrs. Dobson), Eliza (Mrs. Onion), Samuel H.,
Virginia (Mrs. Elliott), William H. and James A. Little or nothing is
known of the maternal ancestry of our subject save the fact that they
were of English descent.
Samuel Shelly, of whom we write, lived in Virginia until he was
fourteen years old and then came with his parents to this county. He
was of a studious, thoughtful turn of mind, and as a physical deformity
of the hands rendered manual labor inconvenient, he determined to
educate himself. He attended the district schools both in Virginia and
this county, which in his day were conducted on the subscription plan,
and he was a student in one such school for two years without any
vacation. He applied himself very closely to his books and laid a solid
foundation for his education, which was advanced by attendance, in the
year 1868-69, at the State Normal School at Normal, Ill. Thus well
equipped for his chosen profession, he entered on its duties and taught
on an average of eight months a year for twenty-two years. He taught in
district schools in Woodland and Astoria Townships, and one term in
Schuyler County.
While teaching, Mr. Shelly made his home in Astoria most of the
time. Four years ago he gave up his professional work, and moving on to
the old homestead on section 16, in 1886, he farmed that place eight
years. At the expiration of that time he bought his present farm of
seventy-two acres in 1889 and has resided on it and devoted himself to
its cultivation ever since. It is well improved with a neat frame
house, good fences and a fine orchard. It is admirably adapted to
stock-raising purposes, and our subject is engaged in that branch.
October 24, 1869, our subject and Miss Angelina Merrill were
wedded. Mrs. Shelly is a native of this county, born June 24, 1846. Her
father, Stephen S. Merrill, was born in Maine, June 24, 1788. His
father, Abel Merrill, was also a native of that State and was born
October 1, 1755. He cultivated a small farm. He was a soldier in the
Revolution and was present at the battle of Bunker Hill. In politics he
was a Whig, and is said to have been quite radical. He was a prominent
figure in the public life of his native place and held local offices
much of the time. He was a life-long resident of his native State. The
Merrill family was of English ancestry and came first to America about
the time of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers.
Mrs. Shelly's father was reared on the Maine farm that had been
his birthplace, and at the age of eighteen began life as a sailor on
the ocean, and all his brothers were likewise thus engaged. He followed
the sea for fifteen years and worked his way up from a menial position
before the mast to be first mate of his ship. His vessel sailed to the
West India Islands and various parts of the world. In 1833 he abandoned
the sea-faring life, and coming to Illinois by water from New Orleans
he became one of the early pioneers in this State. He first stopped at
Rushville, where he had the cholera. After his recovery from that dread
disease, he worked at odd jobs the first year, and then with the money
thus earned bought the northwest quarter of section 19, Woodland
Township, entering it as Government land. It was heavily timbered, and
he had to clear a spot on which he erected a story and a half hewed log
house 18x24 feet in dimensions. There were deer, wolves, panthers and
wild turkeys in this region then, and the venison and turkey that he
obtained by the use of his rifle formed an important addition to the
household fare. He died May 8, 1890, in the home in which he had lived
for many years. He had been a church member all his life, first of the
Congregational and later of the United Brethren. He was very generous
in his contributions to support the Gospel and was much interested in
foreign missions, giving $100 each year to the missionary society to be
used in Africa. He was a Whig in politics and later became a
Republican. He held various township offices, among which was that of
Justice of the Peace. He helped organize the townships when they were
laid out.
Mrs. Shelly's mother was in her maiden days Elizabeth Marshall.
She was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, December 16, 1807. Her father,
William Marshall, was of Scotch birth and came to America with his
parents when he was two years old. His parents settled in Cumberland
County, Pa., and he removed to Ohio and settled in Jefferson County in
a very early day, when the Indians were still there. He took up
Government land and cleared a farm, which he managed until his death,
at the age of sixty-five years. He taught school somewhat while in
Ohio. He was a Presbyterian in his religious faith and was a Democrat
in his political views, and held some of the offices of his township.
He married Margaret Sacock, a native of Scotland. She bore twelve
children, and died at the age of sixty-five years. Religiously, she was
a strong member of the Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Shelly's mother came
to this county with a brother in 1835, and settled on Otter Creek,
among its earliest settlers. She was married to Stephen Merrill,
November 11, 1855. Seven of the eight children whom she bore grew to
maturity: Hannah B., Diana J., William, Angelina, Elizabeth A., Lydia
P. and Mehitable. She had been a member of the Presbyterian Church for
over thirty years.
The union of Mr. and Mrs. Shelly has resulted in the birth of
four children, three of whom are living, as follows: Edwin H., Mary C.
and Cora E. Harry is the name of the one who died. Mr. and Mrs. Shelly
and their two eldest children are among the most valued members of the
United Brethren Church, and they are a highly respected family. In
politics, Mr. Shelly is a sound Republican.
