Gaston, Joseph. "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912." Vol. 4. Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 935. HON. JOHN S. SHOOK has left the impress of his individuality and his ability upon many lines of development in the Yonna valley of Oregon, and his history constitutes an important chapter in the annals of this section of the state. He was born in Ripley county, Indiana, February 26, 1841, and is a son of Amon and Katharine (Yost) Shook. The father was born in Jefferson county, Indiana, November 25, 1814, and the mother's birth occurred in Jennings county, the same state, March 11, 1821. They were married in Ripley county Indiana and four of their children, Mary, John, Isaac N. and Hattie, were born there. In 1847 they removed westward to Davis county, Iowa, where they secured government land which they improved and cultivated. In 1864 the parents came with their son, John S., to the Rogue River valley, settling near Phoenix, Jackson county, Oregon, and after five or six years, in the spring of 1869, they came to the ranch which is still in possession of the family, securing this as a homestead claim. Their remaining days were spent in the Yonna valley, the father reaching the advanced age of eighty-seven and the mother that of eighty-nine years. His political support was given to the republican party and his religious faith was that of the Christian church, holding membership in one of the congregations of that denomination while in Iowa. To him and his wife were born nine children: Mary Jane, who became the wife of James Sutton, both of whom are deceased; John S.; Isaac N., of Ashland; Hattie, who is the widow of George Parker, of Los Angeles; Fannie, who is the wife of Emil Schumann, of Guatemala City, Central America, where he conducts a large plantation; David A., a ranchman living near his brother John; William H., a ranchman of Yonna valley, who deals in horses; Ada the wife of Jacob Rueck, of Yonna valley; and Peter, who died at the age of twenty-six years. All of this family came with their parents first to Jackson county and those who came to Klamath county later on, following our subject, were Isaac N., David P., William H. and Peter. John S. Shook resided with his parents in Iowa until 1862, when he went to Susanville, California, where he remained until the fall of 1864. He then came to the Rogue River valley with his parents and secured a ranch in that district. Gradually he worked into the cattle business and while herding his stock in this section of the state he discovered the Yonna valley in April, 1868. He called it Alkali valley, after the Alkali lake, but subsequently when the district became settled the name was changed to the Yonna valley. In 1868 Mr. Shook came here with his brother and the following year his parents arrived and the family home was here established. At length John S. Shook left his property in the care of his father and brothers and went to Bonanza, where he secured a homestead which included the greater part of the springs of that locality. He built a little sawmill there and the first lumber he used to erect a small schoolhouse and became the teacher of the first school. He operated his sawmill for six hours per day and taught six hours, having about thirty pupils, who came to him from an area of ten miles. He was also the first postmaster as well as the first school clerk and the first justice of the peace. He named the town Bonanza, regarding this as a fitting name because of the different big springs in the district. The first merchant of the town was Albert Handy, who served as Mr. Shook's deputy postmaster. With the growth and development of the town and district along many lines Mr. Shook has been most successfully, actively and helpfully associated. He assisted in organizing the Odd Fellows lodge at Klamath Falls and at Bonanza. He and his brothers, Isaac N. and William, enlisted as scouts in the Modoc war under Captain O. C. Applegate, and John S. was a non-commissioned officer. Taking ten men and his brother, Isaac N. with him he brought seven families out of Langells valley through to Klamath Falls and while on the way had a battle With the Indians about a mile south of Bonanza, on the old Langells Valley road. In 1882 he returned to the Yonna, valley, where he at once engaged in ranching and in the live-stock business, buying and selling cattle. He and his brother David had fifteen hundred head of cattle on the ranch at one time, indicating something of the extent of their operations in that direction. The family owned over three thousand acres in this district, John S. and his brother David being the possessors of the greater part of this. In 1906 they divided their ranch and stock interests and have since operated independently. Mr. Shook has gone through the usual experiences of the ranchmen on the frontier and knows all of the hardships and difficulties which such a life involves. About 1880 he was instrumental in suppressing the first gang of cattle and horse thieves, who were apprehended, and they offered three hundred dollars for his scalp. He was also instrumental in suppressing the second gang that invaded the district. On one occasion the leader of this gang, George Goodlaw, went to Mr. Shook's home, called him out and told him he had come to kill him. It was an occasion that demanded the death of one or the other and in self-defense Mr. Shook shot his assailant, for he had been warned by the sheriff and others to be on his guard, for the desperado had bragged that he was going to shoot the whole Shook family. Before Goodlaw was forced to give up his own life he shot at Mr. Shook, the bullet grazing his ear. Realizing then that it was an encounter to the death Mr. Shook fired. It cost him and his two brothers, William and David, about three years in time and about eight thousand dollars in money to suppress this second gang of horse thieves that invaded the district, but their efforts resulted in at length placing three of them under the ground and seven of them in the penitentiary. Mr. Shook also knows what it means to encounter the red men in their treacherous warfare. For about two months he served under Captain O. C. Applegate in the Modoc war and took part in the first battle of the Lava Beds. During the big battle on the 17th of January, 1873, he had charge of the camp and after the fight was over had charge of the ambulance train which he took through to Klamath Falls. All this is but an indication of many experiences which he had as a settler upon the frontier of Oregon, aiding in reclaiming the district for the uses of civilization. Mr. Shook was married in 1905 to Mrs. Cora (Jones) Blake, who was born in Ohio and was reared in Nebraska. In politics Mr. Shook is a republican, active and influential in the councils of his party. He has served as a delegate to various conventions and to two state conventions, and in 1905-6 he represented his district in the lower branch of the state legislature, during which time all of the bills which he introduced became laws. He helped to organize the Elks lodge at Klamath Falls and the value of his services to the community in which he lives cannot be overestimated. His life experiences have indeed been effectual and varied and his labors have constituted a potent element in the work of progress and improvement. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in November 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.