"An Illustrated History of the Big Bend Country; Embracing Lincoln, Douglas, 
Adams  and Franklin Counties; State of Washington". Spokane, Western Historical
Publishing  Company, Publishers, 1904.

FRED B. SHEPLEY, of the mercantile firm of Myers & Shepley, of Ritzville,
Washington, came to this city with his parents in the year 1887, and in June of
that year he, in partnership with his father, opened a store. This partnership
continued until the father's death in 1901, when our subject assumed the enitire
business. He continued alone until January, 1903, when he consolidated with I.
W. Myers under the present firm name. The company has the largest department
store in the county and their stock will ordinarly invoice about ffifty thousand
dollars. The store is fully equipped and conducted along the most modern
business lines.
     Fred B. Shepley was born at Eddington, near Bangor, Maine, November 13,
1863. His father was Frank Shepley, a native of Maine and came of an old New
England family. He was for a number of years a dealer in marble at Bangor, and
died aged seventy-four, at Ritzville, as stated above. Our subject's mother was
Anne L. (Johnson) Shepley, also born in Maine and coming of one of the old
American families. Many of her ancestors were prominent in colonial and
Revolutionary times, some of whom were members of the famous "Boston Tea Party."
     The Shepley family removed to Minneapolis when our subject was only two
years old, and the father engaged in the lumbering business, combined with stock
raising, for ten years, then removed to Avoca, Iowa, where he followed farming
and the grocery business. Their next migration was to Ritzville, where they
started in the grocery business. 
     Mr. Shepley's education was obtained in the graded schools of Minneapolis
and Iowa. he has no brothers, and only one sister, Nellie, widow of John G.
Fassett, formerly of Minneapolis. She is now living in Ritzville with her
mother.
     At Laclede, Missouri, October 15, 1893, occurred the marriage of Fred B.
Shepley to Carrie S. Baker, daughter of Eugene F. Baker, of Spokane, and a
native of West Virginia. Her mother also was a native of West Virginia. Mrs.
Shepley has three brothers and two sisters: Edward; Samuel; Lewis; Clara, widow
of William Coons, Spokane; and Josephine, who lives in Spokane.
     To Mr. and Mrs. Shepley one child has been born, Eugene F., aged nine
years.
     Mr. Shepley is a member and past grand of the Ritzville lodge, I. O. O. F.,
is a member of the city council, in which office he is serving his second term,
and is a prominent man in the Democratic party. He has been a delegate to both
state and county conventions, and is as active in his party as his business will
allow him to be. He is a stockholder in the First National Bank of Ritzville.


Submitted by: Georgia Harter Williams, georgiahw@earthlink.net