"Early History of Thurston County, Washington; Together with Biographies and
Reminiscences of those Identified with Pioneer Days." Compiled and Edited by
Mrs. George E. (Georgiana) Blankenship.  Published in Olympia, Washington, 1914.
p. 294.
 
GEORGE D. SHANNON

     Among the men most prominently identified with the financial development of
Olympia was George D. Shannon, who was one of the leading spirits in the
organization of the Olympia Light & Power Company. Mr. Shannon sank a very
comfortable fortune in this enterprise, which, although disastrous in the
eventual outcome to the original promoters, was one of the most important steps
ever taken in Olympia's development.
     In the year 1870 Mr. Shannon was appointed superintendent of construction
of the Northern Pacific Railroad, when that line was being built between Kalama
and Tacoma, and at that time came to Olympia to make his home. After spending a
few years in the city, he became the owner of the magnificent farm of 11,000
acres on the Nesqually bottom. Here he lived for about twenty years lavishly
entertaining the foremost men of the State, and being generally regarded as a
prince of good fellows, highly respected and liked for his sterling qualities.
     In the late '80s Mr. Shannon, with others organized the Olympia Light &
Power Co., and was also one of the original incorporators of the First National
Bank of Olympia, of which institution he was a, trustee at the time of his
death.
     Soon after Mr. Shannon's arrival in Olympia he became the warm personal
friend of Governor E. P. Perry, and through that executive was appointed a
member of the State Building Committee and was acting on the Board of Trustees
of the Western Washington Hospital for Insane at the time the main
 hospital building was erected.
     While on a visit to the World's Exposition of 1876, Mr. Shannon was married
to Miss Mary A. Kennedy, of Cleveland, Ohio, and brought his bride to the West
with him upon his return.
     George D. Shannon was a native of New York, and was born in the year 1832.
At the early age of 16 the young man started in a railroad career, working his
way up until in 1858 he was appointed superintendent of construction of the
Winona & St. Peters Railroad, on the completion of which Mr. Shannon was made
conductor on the first passenger train ever run west of the Mississippi in
Minnesota. He followed railroading in that state until 1868, and subsequently
engaged in railroad contracting in New York, Indiana and Wisconsin.
    Mr. Shannon was a 32d Degree Mason and upon the occasion of his death in
1895 the Masonic Fraternity from all over the State gathered in Olympia to honor
their brother. The funeral services were in charge of this brotherhood and the
interment was in Masonic Cemetery.
     Mrs. Shannon made her home in Olympia after the death of her husband until
1905 when she, too, answered the last summons.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios. Project in June 2007 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.