Among the businessmen of Council Bluffs who have achieved prominence as men of marked ability and substantial worth is John P. Greenshields, of the well known real estate firm of Greenshields & Everest Company, and vice president of the First National Bank.

He was born in the province of Quebec, Canada, November 20, 1859, and there spent the first eighteen years of his life, his education being acquired in the schools of the province. His parents were John and Margaret (Naiswith) Greenshields, both of whom were natives of Scotland and in childhood removed to Canada with their respective parents, the families coming to the new world at the same time.

Believing that the United States furnished better opportunities for the ambitious young man, Mr. Greenshields came to Iowa in 1877, and first located in Essex, Page County, where he obtained a position as clerk in a little general store, remaining there three or four years. At the end of that time he returned to Canada and went upon the road as salesman for a Montreal house dealing in hats and furs, in whose employ he remained for about four years. He next went to Chicago and secured employment with a clothing firm, opening branch stores in various cities, and so continued for a year. Going to Anthony, Kansas, he there embarked in the real estate business on his own account and for a time conducted a clothing store at that place. It was in 1886 that he left there and came to Council Bluffs and soon afterward opened a real estate office in this city. He has since carried on business here along that line with marked success and also gived considerable attention to insurance, writing a large number of policies each year.

Mr. Greenshields was married in Shenandoah, Iowa, August 6, 1885, to Miss Allie A. Armstrong, a daughter of the late John Armstrong, and to them ware born four children, but Jeanette is the only one now living. The others were: Chester, who died at the age of nine years; Fay, who died in infancy; and James, who was a twin brother of Jeanette and also died in infancy.

In religious faith Mr. Greenshields is a Presbyterian and in his social relations is a member of the Masonic Order and the Elks. Politically he is identified with the Republican Party, but does not care for the honors or emoluments of public office, preferring to donate his entire time and attention to his business affairs, in which he has been more than ordinarily successful, though for one term he served as alderman of Council Bluffs. It is though his own unaided efforts that he has arisen to a place of prominence in the commercial world, for he began his business career as a clerk in a country store, but being energic, industrious and a man of sound judgment he has steadly prospered as the years have gone by until he is now the head of a large and lucrative business and is vice president of the First National Bank of Council Bluffs.