SHANKLAND, JOHN H. (deceased). - In the death of John H. Shankland, which occurred June 21, 1909, Sangamon County lost one of it representative citizens, a man who had done much towards building up the town of Dawson, Ill., in more than one sense. He was a veteran of the Civil War, in which he received wounds, scars from which he carried to the time of his death. John H. Shankland was born May 6, 1826, in Montgomery County, Ky., son of Benjamin F. and Margaret Lucinda (Ferguson) Shankland, the former a native of Maryland and the latter of Pennsylvania.
The parents of Mr. Shankland, in early married life, moved to Kentucky, where they were engaged in agricultural pursuits, and eventually removed to Warren County, Ind., and followed the same occupation up to the time of their deaths. They had the following children, all of whom are now deceased: John H., Thomas, Jesse, Sarah H., Ellen, Amanda and Mary Ann.
John H. Shankland was educated in Kentucky and during his boyhood days worked for his father on the home farm, but in 1856 came to Illinois and settled in Springfield, where he started to work as a carpenter and builder, a trade he had learned in his native State. In 1861, when the call came for 100-day volunteers, Mr. Shankland was one of the first to offer his services to the Union cause, enlisting in Company I, Seventh Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Col. Babcock and Gen. John C. Cook, and after his time had expired he veteranized in the same company and regiment, enlisting for three years. He was First Sergeant of his company and took part in many battles, among them being Fort Donelson, Belmont, Shiloh and Corinth, at which latter battle he was wounded in the shoulder and jaw, and carried a bullet in his head all the rest of his life. He was taken prisoner by the Confederates May 7, 1864, and served eight months in the prisons at Andersonville, Cahaba and Florence. After being paroled July 7, 1865, Mr. Shankland was mustered out of the service at Washington, D.C., the 25th of the same month.
After completing his services to his country, Mr. Shankland returned to Sangamon County and located in Dawson, where he followed the trade of carpenter until 1874, then went to Riverton, but two years later went back to Dawson, his home until his death. He also spent a little time engaged in farming. He served as Police Magistrate for sixteen years, was a Notary Public, and was School Director for twelve years consecutively at one time and for sixteen years consecutively at another. He was a popular comrade of Buffalo Post, G.A.R., and at one time was the Commander of his post; had been Grand Master and High Priest of Dawson Lodge No. 556, A.F. & A.M. several times, and was also a member of the Odd Fellows and the Eastern Star. Mrs. Shankland is a member of the Eastern Star and the Woman's Relief Corps. She is a faithful member of the Methodist Church. In politics Mr. Shankland was a Republican.
On December 29, 1877, Mr. Shankland was married in Dawson, Ill., to Mrs. Mary Constant Rinker, who was born September 25, 1839, the daughter of Jacob and Amelia (Crocker) Constant, the former a native of Montgomery County, Ky., and the latter of the State of Georgia. The father removed from Kentucky to Ohio, settling in Clermont County, and in 1826 removed to Sangamon County, where six children were born: Mrs. Shankland, David, James H., Thomas S., Ira and John. Mrs. Shankland also has three half brothers and sisters, the father having been again married after the mother's death in 1847. Mr. Constant continued to farm in Mechanicsburg until his death in 1885.
The first marriage of Mrs. Shankland occurred to John Rinker, in 1861, he being a native of Pennsylvania and a blacksmith by trade. He enlisted during the Civil War in Company H, Thirtieth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Col. J. H. Rhodes, and died in Vicksburg from a congestive chill, September 13, 1863, though previously having been wounded at Pittsburg Landing. Mr. and Mrs. Rinker had one child: Antoinette, the widow of William H. Metcalfe, who has one son, Don R. She makes her home with Mrs. Shankland on the Dawson farm.