The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 6

JOHN E. SHANNON.

John E. Shannon, of Yakima, prominently and successfully identified with the
agricultural and horticultural interests of the valley, was born in Coshocton,
Ohio, August 14, 1860, a son of Isaac N. and Cassandra (Endsley) Shannon. The
parents were natives of Ohio, where they spent their entire lives.	There the
father followed the occupation of farming. He was a son of Isaac Shannon, Sr.,
and his grandfather was born on the Shannon river in Ireland. He came to the
United States prior to the Revolutionary war. One of the representatives of this
family was numbered among the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The
grandfather of John E. Shannon took up a homestead in Ohio and thereon resided
until his death. The family has ever been noted for patriotic loyalty as well as
progressiveness in business. Several of the uncles of John E. Shannon of this
review served as soldiers of the Civil war.

In the public schools of Ohio, John E. Shannon acquired his education and when
not busy with his textbooks assisted in the work of the home farm. When his
schooldays were over he concentrated his efforts and attention upon farm work in
that state until 1880, when he removed westward to Colorado, where he resided
until 1884, being there engaged in civil engineering. Between the years 1884 and
1893 he resided in Wyoming, where he also practiced the profession of civil
engineering, being actively engaged on irrigation and railway projects. With
his removal to the far northwest in 1893 he purchased a home in Yakima and
engaged in loaning money. In 1895 he purchased forty acres of land two and
three-quarters of a mile west of Yakima and at once began its improvement. He
planted an orchard there and afterward sold a part of that place but later
purchased other land and now has seventy-eight acres in all, of which
thirty-eight acres is planted to fruit trees, including apples, pears, peaches,
apricots and plums. He also engages to some extent in the raising of hay and
grain and his business interests have been most wisely and carefully conducted,
his course at all times being characterized by unwearied industry and
unfaltering determination. He has his own cold storage and packing plant and in
addition to raising he also buys fruit and is one of the big fruit producers and
shippers of this section of the state. He became a charter member of the Yakima
County Horticultural union and was one of the organizers of the Yakima Valley
Fruit Growers' Association but in recent years has conducted his business
independently of such organizations. His long experience has enabled him to
speak with authority upon the subject of fruit raising in the Yakima valley. He
has closely studied every phase of the business and that his ideas are practical
and progressive is at once indicated in the success which has come to him.

On the 22d of December, 1887, Mr. Shannon was united in marriage to Miss Faith
Luckey, of Iowa, by whom he has had three children, namely: Clinton, who is
married and is a fruit grower of Yakima county; Harold E., at home; and Fern,
who is deceased.

Mr. Shannon and his family are members of the Methodist church and are people of
prominence in Yakima, occupying an enviable social position. Mr. Shannon has
built a beautiful home on his ranch and its hospitality is greatly enjoyed by
all who know them. In politics be has ever been a republican but never an office
seeker, although he served for three terms as county engineer of Johnson county,
Wyoming. Since coming to the west he has preferred to concentrate his entire
efforts and attention upon his business interests, and the development of his
orchards has placed him among the most successful and prominent fruit raisers of
this section of the state.

********************************
Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.