December 16, 2019 at 5:45 p.m.
School names require thought
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
Jay County Historical Society would like to share some very important facts about the life of one of Jay County's most renowned citizens.
The Shanks family is one of the most distinguished in the state of Indiana. As a family of patriots, they are especially renowned, having been prominently represented in every war in this country from the Revolutionary War to the present. (According to the “Biographical Memories of Jay County,” published by BF Bowen in 1901.)
Starting at age 18, John P.C. Shanks taught school for a number of winter seasons. In 1847, he studied law under Nathan B. Hawkins. He became a lawyer in 1848.
In 1849, he was the deputy county clerk. In 1850, he was the deputy auditor and postmaster, and he was elected to be the prosecuting attorney of the circuit court.
In 1851, he printed and published the first newspaper in Jay County.
In 1854, he was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives. He aided in the formation of the Republican Party in 1856.
In 1860, he was elected to Congress. While still a member of Congress, he fought in the first Battle of Bull Run. In that battle, he was able to stop the retreat. Union soldiers were running back to Washington and it would have been a huge defeat for the North. He led the charge that turned the battle around. Lincoln wanted to make him a full general at that point, but Shanks refused because he didn’t think he had enough experience. Shanks was well-respected by the confederate generals that he opposed.
In 1863, he formed the 17th Regiment of Volunteer Cavalry with much of his own money. He was breveted a Brigadier General on Dec. 8, 1864, for meritorious service in the field.
He was elected to Congress again and served from 1866 to 1873. While in Congress, he served as chairman of the Committee on Militia and he was Commissioner of Indian Affairs. In this capacity, he did much to improve legislation concerning the Indians. He was elected again to the State House of Representatives in 1878.
He did much to improve Jay County, including building two railroads, working to better the roads and lowering the depths of the Salamonia River in order to alleviate flooding. In 1887, he built a church and gave it to the Bethel AME Church for $1.
He donated the land on which the 1901 General Shanks building stood at the corner of Meridian and Elder streets and also the land on which the current General Shanks building stands.
He died in January 1901 and is buried in Green Park Cemetery. It was a cold, snowy winter day, but still the streets were lined with mourners as the procession including a riderless white horse whose back was saddled and carried the General’s sword and boots passed en route to the cemetery.
“A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote generations.” — Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay
We, as a board of the Jay County Historical Society, recommend that research and thought go into the process of selecting the names of the schools in Jay County before proceeding further.
Jane Spencer
Jay County Historian
The Jay County Historical Society Board of Directors
Jay County Historical Society would like to share some very important facts about the life of one of Jay County's most renowned citizens.
The Shanks family is one of the most distinguished in the state of Indiana. As a family of patriots, they are especially renowned, having been prominently represented in every war in this country from the Revolutionary War to the present. (According to the “Biographical Memories of Jay County,” published by BF Bowen in 1901.)
Starting at age 18, John P.C. Shanks taught school for a number of winter seasons. In 1847, he studied law under Nathan B. Hawkins. He became a lawyer in 1848.
In 1849, he was the deputy county clerk. In 1850, he was the deputy auditor and postmaster, and he was elected to be the prosecuting attorney of the circuit court.
In 1851, he printed and published the first newspaper in Jay County.
In 1854, he was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives. He aided in the formation of the Republican Party in 1856.
In 1860, he was elected to Congress. While still a member of Congress, he fought in the first Battle of Bull Run. In that battle, he was able to stop the retreat. Union soldiers were running back to Washington and it would have been a huge defeat for the North. He led the charge that turned the battle around. Lincoln wanted to make him a full general at that point, but Shanks refused because he didn’t think he had enough experience. Shanks was well-respected by the confederate generals that he opposed.
In 1863, he formed the 17th Regiment of Volunteer Cavalry with much of his own money. He was breveted a Brigadier General on Dec. 8, 1864, for meritorious service in the field.
He was elected to Congress again and served from 1866 to 1873. While in Congress, he served as chairman of the Committee on Militia and he was Commissioner of Indian Affairs. In this capacity, he did much to improve legislation concerning the Indians. He was elected again to the State House of Representatives in 1878.
He did much to improve Jay County, including building two railroads, working to better the roads and lowering the depths of the Salamonia River in order to alleviate flooding. In 1887, he built a church and gave it to the Bethel AME Church for $1.
He donated the land on which the 1901 General Shanks building stood at the corner of Meridian and Elder streets and also the land on which the current General Shanks building stands.
He died in January 1901 and is buried in Green Park Cemetery. It was a cold, snowy winter day, but still the streets were lined with mourners as the procession including a riderless white horse whose back was saddled and carried the General’s sword and boots passed en route to the cemetery.
“A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote generations.” — Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay
We, as a board of the Jay County Historical Society, recommend that research and thought go into the process of selecting the names of the schools in Jay County before proceeding further.
Jane Spencer
Jay County Historian
The Jay County Historical Society Board of Directors
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