Biography - George W. Shride
GEORGE W. SHRIDE has been a resident of Shelby County for more than
thirty years, and during that time has won an important place among the most
substantial farmers and stock-raisers of Pickaway Township, where he has a
farm that compares with the best in this part of the State. He is a son of
one of the pioneer families of Ohio, and was born in that state February 25,
1825, his birthplace being about twelve miles northwest of Lancaster,
Fairfield County. His father's name was Jacob Shride, and he was a native of
Bucks County, Pa. He went from there to Ohio when he was a young man, and
married in that State, Hannah Bowman. He bought a tract of partly improved
land in Fairfield County, and the remainder of his life was devoted to
farming in that locality until death rounded out his life in 1861. His wife
had died there many years before, passing away in 1840.
Our subject began when very young to acquire a practical knowledge of
farming, and afforded his father much assistance during his youth. He
attended school as he could, acquiring a fair education, and continued to
live with his father until he attained his majority. He then worked on a
farm by the month until his marriage, when he rented land in his native
county a few years. In 1854 he went to Logan County, in the same State, and
was a resident thereof until he came to Shelby in 1857. When he first
located here he farmed as a renter, but in 1861 he bought two hundred and
forty acres of land, which is included in his present farm on the west half
of section 22, Pickaway Township. He has placed it under a high state of
tillage, has erected commodious buildings, and has made his farm a valuable
piece of property, upon which he carries on a good business in general
farming and stock-raising.
In 1849 Mr. Shride married Miss Julia A. Stump, and for thirty-five years
they were bound together by the sacred tie of a true wedded life. Then death
crossed the threshold of their home and removed the faithful wife and
devoted mother from her family in September, 1884. Of the thirteen children
born of that marriage, these ten have been reared to maturity: John W.,
William H., Lyman M., Daniel F., Sarah M., Jacob C., Milo D., Fletcher,
Abraham Lincoln and Harvey E.
Mr. Shride is a member of the Reformed Church, as was also his wife. He was
a Democrat previous to the war, but at that time became an ardent
Republican, and has ever since remained true to the party. His whole career
marks him as a man of sound understanding, of far-seeing sagacity and of
industrious habits, so combined with those useful qualities of thrift,
prudence and steadiness of purpose, that his prosperity is easily accounted
for. His unswerving honesty and integrity, fidelity to whatever he conceives
to be his duty, and his unfailing kindness to all with whom he comes in
contract have won him the regard of his neighbors and friends.
Extracted 12 Jan 2018 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, page 413.
