An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA. 1905, page 298-299.

 ROSWELL SHELLEY is an enterprising merchant and fruit raiser in the Odell
district, seven miles out from Hood River on the east side. He was born in
Jefferson county, Iowa, on September 26, 1846, the son of Michael and Sena
(Mays) Shelley, natives of Kentucky and Tennessee, respectively. The father's
ancestors came from Holland and the mother was from a prominent southern family.
In 1848, the father with his family and our subject's grandparents started in
early spring from Monmouth, Illinois, for the Pacific coast, using ox teams and
milch cows. At the Platte river the grandfather was stricken with cholera and he
was buried on the dreary plains. After great hardship and suffering, besides
much trouble with the hostile savages, they arrived in Oregon City in September.
The father's uncle, Elijah Bristow, was at Pleasant Hill, having settled there
in 1845, and thither the family went. That was the home, the father having taken
a donation claim, until 1857, when he came to Monmouth and assisted to found the
Christian College, now the state normal. The mother died there in 1859. Then the
old place was sold and a farm bought near Independence, which the father sold in
1870, to accompany our subject to Antelope where they started a stock ranch. Two
years later he sold to this son and returned to the valley west of the
mountains. He died in Yamhill county, in 1894, aged eighty. He was a good and
highly respected man and had done much for the cause of education and for the
church. In 1874, our subject sold his stock and removed back to Independence and
entered the employ of Isaac Van Duyn, a general merchant. Later he was elected
county clerk on the Republican ticket, the first one on that ticket in
twenty-four years. Following his service, Mr. Shelley bought a third interest in
the mercantile establishment where he had worked and continued there until 1886.
Then he sold to his partners and for five years was variously employed. In 1897,
he was appointed receiver of the land office in Sitka, Alaska, but after two
years, he was so dissatisfied with the climate and the lonesomeness that he
resigned. He promoted some enterprises until 1902, when he came to Hood River to
visit his brother, and being taken with the country, he located where we find
him now. With his son, he owns twenty acres of land near by and this is being
put into fruit. Mr. Shelley is also doing a real estate business.      

At Independence, in 1878, Mr. Shelley married Miss Mary L., daughter of James
Tatum, and a native of Jackson county, Oregon. The father was born in Missouri
and came to Oregon in 1850. He married Miss Berry. Mrs. Shelley died in 1891,
August 26, at Independence. On September 24, 1902, Mr. Shelley married Mrs. Rose
McCoy, nee Sherrieb, and a native of Germany. Mr. Shelley has the following
brothers and sisters, Hon. James M., Troy, Rolandes L., Mary M. Silton, who died
June 30, 1904: Ellen F. Sommerville, Lodema Huston, Henry, deceased, Ransom,
deceased, and Martha, deceased. To our subject three children have been born,
Ralph D., a partner with his father; Hugh T., in Independence; and Fay S., who
died in 1901, aged fourteen. Mrs. Shelley is a member of the Congregational
church and is very influential and active in labors for the same.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. 
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.