Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 412 - 413 

JACKSON SHANK, a successful real-estate dealer and respected citizen of the city of Wichita, is one of the pioneers of Sedgwick County.  Early in March, 1871, he came to this locality, and pre-empting 160 acres of land in Minneha Township, commenced agricultural pursuits.  His first efforts were in the direction of putting up a shelter for his comfort.  Cutting the sod from the native prairie, he erected the walls of his dwelling, which he covered for a roof with his wagon cover.  Inside there was no floor except mother earth, and a bunk in which he slept was roughly constructed of unplaned boards.  In this cabin he resided for about four months, during which time he erected a house of lumber, 14 x 16 feet in area, containing but one room.  This edifice he built with no other tools than a saw and a hammer.

      Having protected himself from the inclemency of the elements, Mr. Shank began improving the farm, breaking the sod to prepare it for cultivation, putting out hedge rows, planting fruit and shade trees, erecting barns and other buildings.  In 1878 he built a large and commodious farmhouse, and a fine barn.  Giving great attention to the rearing of horses and cattle, in addition to the raising of grain, he was eminently successful, financially, and was amply repaid by fortune for the trials and privations endured in the earlier days of his settlement.  While living on this place he was largely instrumental in the organization of a church society and of the school district, and paid liberally for the support of both.   He held the position of School Director, and also that of Roadmaster during these years.

      In 1881 Mr. Shank removed to the town of Andover, Butler County, where he  entered into mercantile business, which he followed for some eighteen months.  Disposing of his stock and store, for six months' time he kept the hotel in the same place.  Not being pleased with this, he closed out his interest therein, and with his wife made a trip to New Orleans, on a visit to the World's Fair at that place in 1884.  On returning to this county, he settled in Wichita, and commenced purchasing real estate, and has since then largely dealt in that class of property.  Mr. Shank is a native of Perry County, Pa., born Oct. 20, 1835, and is a son of Christian and Mary (Moyer) Shank, both of whom were natives of the Keystone  State, and of German ancestry.

        When Jackson, the subject of this sketch, was some thirteen years of age, he removed to Indiana with Jacob Smith, and helped him to make a farm in that State, cutting off the timber, rooting out the stumps, and breaking up the sod.  With this gentleman he made his home until he was twenty-two years old, when, in betterment of his fortune, he sought a home in Vermilion County, Ill., in 1857.  While in this latter place, Feb. 15, 1858, he was united in marriage with Miss Rachel Layton, of that county.  She was a native of Indiana, and born about 1840. She became the mother of four children: John C., who married Ellen Kelley, and is a resident of Sangamon County, Ill.; Anna, Mrs. Ellis Poor, of Sangamon County; Harry, who married Katie Hughes, and is a resident of this county, and Helen, a resident of Springfield, Ill.  In 1858 Mr. Shank removed to Springfield, and made that city his home until coming to Kansas in 1871.

      A cruel and unnatural war raging between the States, and the General  government being in want of men to put down the bands of armed traitors who sought the National life, in 1865 Mr. Shank enlisted in Company E, 154th Indiana Volunteers, which was organized for a four-months service, and remained in the army until after the close of hostilities.  In 1865 he had the misfortune to lose his wife, who died at Springfield, August 10, and in 1871 he removed to Kansas as mentioned above.  Oct. 16, 1872, he again contracted a matrimonial alliance, leading to the altar Miss Rebecca Johnson, a daughter of Erastus and Minerva (Styles) Johnson, both of whom were natives of Ohio, of Dutch and English ancestry respectively.  Mrs. Shank was born in Calhoun County, Ill., Sept. 2, 1850, and was reared on her father's farm, and received her education in the village schools of Wisconsin, where they were living.  Later, she entered the Normal school at Platteville, Grant Co., Wis., from which she is a graduate.  For two years after she taught in the district schools of Wisconsin, and after coming to Kansas for the same length of time in this State.

      In all his financial operations Mr. Shank has been highly successful.  On coming to the city of Wichita he purchased considerable real estate in the city, and also 640 acres of excellent land near Kingsley, in Edwards County, Kan., which place he afterward sold at a large advance.  He is still extensively engaged in the purchase and sale of city lots, and farm property in the county, and is one of Wichita's most prominent and influential citizens.  In politics he is a thorough Republican, believing that within that party lie the principles which are the safest guides for our National Government.  Both he and his wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and give largely both time and money to their religious work.

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