20th Century History of New Castle and
Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens

JOHN WESLEY SHIMP,

[p. 715] general farmer, owner of thirty-five acres of the old Shimp homestead, located one mile east of Princeton, was born on this farm, in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, August 4, 1866, and is a son of Samuel and Harriet (Houk) Shimp.

Samuel was born March 2, 1817, and died October 23, 1893. Of his parents he knew nothing. When he was four years old he was brought to Slippery Rock Township, from beyond the Alleghany Mountains, by a man named Mark Mercer, who located on the farm now owned by Philip Frew. The child had but limited school advantages, and through his own industry and good character made a respected name for himself, and acquired property. For a number of years he worked for various farmers and at length was able to buy fifty acres of the present farm, still later five more acres, and subsequently added ten acres, making a farm that he took pleasure in cultivating and improving, and it was a nice inheritance to his sons. He married a most estimable woman, Harriet Houk, who was born January 5, 1821, on the farm adjoining Mr. Shimp's land, and was a daughter of William Houk, a well known man of his time. Mrs. Shimp died January 23, 1908. There were six children in the family, namely: William, who died June 30, 1890; Mary Ann, who married Henry Taylor, died June 5, 1898; Eliza, deceased; Samuel W. S., deceased; Philip and John Wesley, the two latter owning the farm together.

John Wesley Shimp secured his education in the public schools and afterward worked on the home farm for his father and later spent some eight years working for other farmers, and then came back, and has remained on the homestead ever since.

Mr. Shimp married Mary Esther Burtch, who was born at New Wilmington, Lawrence County, October 11, 1870, and they have one child, Samuel Charles, who was born May 5, 1899, and is now making a fine record at school. Mr. and Mrs. Shimp attend the United Presbyterian Church at Oak Grove. In politics, he is a stanch supporter of the Republican party's principles and candidates.


20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908

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