History of Jacksonville, (Adams County) Ohio United States of America

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Joseph W. Shinn, Attorney-at-Law, was born in Jacksonville, Adams county, Ohio, January 27th, 1845. He was the sixth child in a family of eight children, whose parents were Francis Shinn and Sarah (Moore) Shinn. His father, a native of Culpepper, Virginia, followed through life principally the occupation of tanner. He moved to Ohio about the year 1825, and settled at Hillsborough, whence he removed to Jacksonville in 1840, or thereabout; he settled in West Union in January, 1846, and there resided until his decease in June, 1851. He was for four years an Auditor of Adams county, and was widely known and esteemed as an upright and useful citizen. His mother, a native of Adams county, Ohio, died in May, 1869. He was engaged more or less regularly in farming occupations until his majority was attained, while his early education, which was comparatively thorough, was obtained by his own exertions and perseverance. In 1866 he attended Miami University, and during the ensuing eighteen months pursued a regular course of classical study. In January, 1868, he left this institution and entered the Ohio University, at Athens, where he remained as a student for about four months. Subsequently, on account of illuess, he was compelled to return to his home. In the summer of 1868 he was nominated by a Democratic Convention as Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, and in the succeeding fall was elected to fill that office. At this time he was the youngest of five candidates put forward for the desired place. He was re-elected in 1871, and, after retaining the clerkship six years, vacated the office in February, 1875. During the years intervening between election and vacation he applied himself to the study of law, and in September, 1874, was admitted to the bar. In February, 1875, he took the contract for building the new Adams County Court House, a magnificent structure, the cost of the erection of which was defrayed mainly by the individual subscriptions of the people of the county. This he did, no other person offering to take the contract, because the county was limited by law to an expenditure of $10,000. The greater portion of his time and energies down to the present time has therefore been devoted to the supervising of the construction of this monument to the county's enterprise, while he has been constantly engaged also in the general practice of his profession. In 1874 he was a candidate before the State Democratic Convention for Clerk of the Supreme Court, but was defeated through the opposition of Hamilton and Cuyahoga counties. Politically, he sustains the creed of the Democratic party, and has brought to its support talents of no mean order. His religious views and sentiments are in harmony with the teachings of the Presbyterian Church. He was married, March 8th, 1870, to Sallie E. Wright, a native of Brown county, Ohio, whose demise occurred November 18th, 1871. He was again married, September 15th, 1874, to Laura Swearingen, a native of Adams county, in the same State.

From: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Ohio of the Nineteenth Century. Columbus, OH, USA: Galaxy Publishing Co., 1876.

History of Jacksonville, (Adams County) Ohio

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