Gaston, Joseph.  "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912."  Vol. 2. 
Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 679.
 
ANDREW KERSHAW, M.D.

     who is now living retired, but is prominently identified with various
enterprises of Willamina, was born a Oldham, England, on June 28, 1855, and is a
son of Moses and Betsy Kershaw, also natives of the mother country.  The father,
who was the manager of a cotton mill in the old country, together with his wife
and family emigrated to the United States in 1859, locating in Pennsylvania.
After residing there for three years they removed to Coles county, Illinois,
where the father continues to make his home at the venerable age of
eighty-seven, having been born in 1824, but the mother passed away several years
ago.  Moses Kershaw is one of the well known and prominent residents of Coles
county, where for many years he has discharged the duties of justice of the
peace and coroner.  He is a worthy exemplar of the Odd Fellow's order, having
been identified with this organization for sixty-six years, and is a member of
the Grand Lodge.  He has always been a zealous worker in the order and is well
known in lodge circles throughout the state of Illinois.  There are four
generations of the Kershaw family living and three of them are identified with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  Mr. and Mrs. Kershaw were the parents of
two children, a son and daughter; the latter, Mary, is the widow of John Russell
and now makes her home in southern California.
     As he was only a child of four years when he came to the United States with
his parents, Dr. Kershaw has practically no recollection of his native land, and
almost his earliest memories of his life in America are associated with the
Civil war.  He was very young when the war opened, but his whole nature was
thrilled by the martial spirit that pervaded the air, and it was practically
impossible to keep him in school or center his attention on his lessons.  Still
too young to realize its horrors and the suffering it entailed, he was keenly
interested in the details of every battle and it was the ambition of his life to
be a soldier.  Everything that was connected with the war had a wonderful
fascination for the lad and despite the watchfulness of his parents his
enthusiasm would sometimes lead him into danger and on the 3d of June, 1863, he
went with a party of comrades to watch an army train pass through the village in
which they lived.  At an unguarded moment the little chap lost his footing and
fell under the wheels, losing his left foot.  Surgery at that period was not the
wonderful science it is today, and the verdict of the country physicians was
amputation two inches below the knee.  Thus from his ninth year he has been
handicapped all through life by the loss of his foot, but doubtless he felt it
most in his early years when his affliction made it impossible for him to
participate in the sports and games of his playmates.  This accident had a
tendency to sober his boyish spirits somewhat and from then on he applied
himself closely to his studies until he had completed the course of the common
schools.  Having decided that he would adopt the profession of medicine for his
life vocation, upon attaining his eighteenth year he entered the office of one
of the local physicians under whose direction he pursued his studies for two
years.  At the expiration of that period he matriculated in the Rush Medical
College at Chicago and was awarded the degree of M.D. two years later.  He began
his professional career at the age of twenty-two years when he opened an office
at Charleston, Illinois, that he maintained for eight years.  From there he went
to Missouri, but soon thereafter applied for a government post as physician to
the Indians, his application bearing the signatures of John A. Logan, John G.
Cannon and Major James A. Connolly.  Very soon after he was appointed to the
Tulalip reservation in Washington, remaining there until 1889, during which time
he had the supervision of five different reservations.  From there he was
transferred to the Grande Ronde reservation, Yamhill county, Oregon, where he
discharged the duties of physician until 1896, when he was appointed
superintendent.  He continued to serve in this capacity until the 1st of April,
1909, when he resigned his post and has ever since been living retired.
     In 1891, Dr. Kershaw purchased a general mercantile store in Willamina,
later taking for a partner Paul Fundman, who had the entire management of the
business.  He subsequently bought Mr. Fundman's interest, however, and turned
the enterprise over to his son, who is still conducting it under the name of the
Kershaw Department Store.  In 1907, Dr. Kershaw became associated with a number
of Portland men in the organization of the Pacific Face Brick company and the
Sheridan & Willamina Railroad Company, the two being incorporated for two
hundred thousand dollars.  He is vice president and a member of the board of
directors of both organizations, which are now well established and thriving.
Always having had great faith in the ultimate development of the northwest, Dr.
Kershaw has invested at various times during the long period of his residence in
the country heavily in real estate, much of which he has sold at a good profit,
when capitalists could be brought to realize the wonderful possibilities of the
natural resources, while he still has some valuable holdings.  He has always
been an enterprising man of more than average sagacity, and has been interested
in the promoting and upbuilding of various public utilities.
     Charleston, Illinois, was the scene of the marriage of Dr. Kershaw and Miss
Ella Mitchell, the event being celebrated in 1881.  Mrs. Kershaw is a daughter
of General G. M. and Catherine Mitchell, the father a well known officer of the
Civil war, and at one time a prisoner of General Price, who entered the service
as a general and was mustered out with the rank of major-general.  After the
close of hostilities he was postmaster at Charleston for several years, but was
subsequently appointed superintendent of the southern Illinois penitentiary.
Both General and Mrs. Mitchell are now deceased, their deaths having occurred
the same day.  Of the marriage of Dr. and Mrs. Kershaw there has been born one
son, Harry, whose birth occurred on the 15th of June, 1883.  He is also married
and has a little son, Andrew, who celebrated the second anniversary of his birth
on October 17, 1911.
     Fraternally, Dr. Kershaw is a member of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, in which he has filled all of the chairs, and he also belongs to the
Grand Lodge and is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of
Salem.  He attends the Congregational church, in which Mrs. Kershaw holds
membership, although she was reared a Presbyterian, while his political support
is accorded to the republican party.  He takes an active interest in all
municipal affairs and in 1910 served as mayor of Willamina, and during the
period of his residence in Charleston for a time discharged the duties of city
clerk.  Dr. Kershaw is a man of many estimable qualities and during his
residence here has won and retained the friendship of the majority of those with
whom he has had dealings, because of his straightforward upright method of
conducting his transactions.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in September 2006 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.