An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., 
The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, pages 428-429

	THOMAS ROCHESTER SHEPARD, one of the busiest practitioners in corporation
law in Seattle, was born in Dansville, Livingston county, New York, in 1852, a
son of Charles and Catherine (Colman) Shepard, natives also of that State. The
paternal ancestors came from England, and settled in Massachusetts in 1638, and
the descendants are now scattered through Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New
York. The mother of our subject was a grandchild of Colonel Nathaniel Rochester,
of Westmoreland county, Virginia, who served through the Revolutionary war, and
then settled in the little town called Falls Village, but the name of which was
subsequently changed in honor of him, to Rochester, New York. Charles Shepard,
who is still living, at an advanced age, was one of the active citizens of
Dansville, was an extensive property holder, president of the first railroad
which entered the town, and always foremost in matters of enterprise and
development.
	Thomas Rochester Shepard, the subject of this sketch, received his
preparatory education by private instruction, and at the Seminary of Dansville.
He next entered Williston Seminary, at East Hampton, Massachusetts, graduated
there in 1870, and then became a student of Yale College. He left that
institution before completing the freshman year, to engage as a civil engineer
in railwork in Wisconsin, at which he continued in that State and New York until
January, 1875. In that year he engaged in the study of law with his brother,
Charles E. Shepard, at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and by close and persistent work
was admitted to the bar on February 21, 1876. In the following March Mr. Shepard
began practice with his brother, and this firm continued until September, 1881,
when the former removed to Milwaukee. In 1883 he was joined by his brother, and
they continued in general practice in the State and Federal Courts, giving
particular attention to commercial law. In 1883 they published Shepard's
Wisconsin Digest of the Supreme Court Reports, a two-volume, octavo edition,
which came into general use.
	The above firm dissolved partnership in 1889, and Mr. Shepard came to the
Puget Sound country, locating, after due consideration, in Seattle. On April 10,
1889, he opened an office, where he continued until after the fire of June,
following. He then became associated with Job P. Lyon and Everett Smith, under
the firm name of Shepard, Smith & Lyon. This partnership continued until July,
1890, and our subject was then elected City Attorney for a short term of three
months. During that time he conducted in the Superior and Supreme Courts the
defense of the bond cases brought against the city of
	Seattle, and by winning these suits enabled the city to issue nearly
$1,000,0O0 of water and sewer bonds. In November, 1890, he entered into
partnership with Judge Thomas Burke and Mr. Andrew Woods, under the style of
Burke, Shepard & Woods, and they are still among the leading law firms of the
city. They are attorneys for the great Northern Railroad, and give particular
attention to corporate law. In the interest of the firm Mr. Shepard has been
prominently connected with the Seattle Harbor Line case, one of the most
important cases of the State, as it involved the rights of all owners of
property abutting upon the water ways of the State. The firm obtained a decree
in the Superior Court, which was reversed in the Supreme Court, and was recently
argued by him before the Supreme Court of the United States. The case of Brown
vs. the City of Seattle, regarding the liability of the city for the injury to
abutting property by cutting street grades, etc., was conducted in the Superior
and Supreme Courts by Mr. Shepard, and damages were secured. He has also been
active with the litigation and preparatory steps toward the issuing of all bonds
by the city of Seattle. Being a close student, and possessing a judicial mind,
with quick comprehension, he has achieved a recognized standing in cases turning
especially upon points of law.
	Mr. Shepard was married in 1879, to Miss Caroline MacCartney, of Dansville,
New York. They have one child, Arthur MacCartney Shepard.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in October 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.