Boswell, H. James.  American Blue Book Western Washington, Seattle, Lowman and 
Hanford Co., 1922.  p. 158.		

SHEPARD, CHAS. E.:  PROBABLY  the oldest member of the Seattle bar is Charles 
E. Shepard, a lawyer whose success has been pronounced.  Mr. Shepard is a 
native of New York, and was born in 1848.  His early educational training was 
in Dansville (N.Y.) Seminary, following which he entered Canadaigua Academy.  
After completing his course there he next entered Yale and from that 
institution graduated with the degree of bachelor of Arts in 1870.  In 1872 he 
was admitted to the bar and entered active practice in Fond du Lac. Wis., with 
his brother, which lasted until 1883.  In 1881 Mr. Shepard, while a resident 
of fond du Lac, was elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature and for two 
years served in that capacity.  From 1883 to 1891 he was engaged in the 
practice of his profession in Milwaukee.  His clientele became so heavy and 
the amount of work involved so burdensome, that his health failed, and it was 
in the latter part of 1891 that he came to Seattle.  For ten or twelve years 
he served as Library Commissioner, and due to persistent efforts upon his 
part, Andrew Carnegie bestowed a gift of $200,000 for the purpose of building 
a library in Seattle.  This handsome structure was erected under Mr. Shepard's 
supervision and became a uniform law commissioner for the state, an office 
which he has held ever since, and attended the uniform law conference held at 
Narragansett Pier, R. I., by appointment of the governor, being elected vice 
president of that body.  In addition to his success as a lawyer, he has 
attained equal prominence as an author.  "A Digest of Wisconsin Reports" is 
the joint work of his brother, Thomas R., and himself.  This was published in 
1884 in two volumes.  He has delivered many important lectures before 
gatherings, has published a number of addresses and articles, and has lectured 
before law students for many years and on various subjects.

Submitted by: Judy Bivens

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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.