El
Dorado County
Biographies
JAMES WILLIAM SHANKLIN
James
William Shanklin, who has been justice of the peace at Placerville, since the
year 1911, and is one of the most prominent Republicans in the county, now
serving as secretary of the county central committee, has also had a long and
successful career in the newspaper and printing business. He was formerly the owner of a number of
important newspapers, and resurrected many of them from what appeared to be
certain death.
James
W. Shanklin was born in Linn County, Iowa, February 7, 1860, a son of Jacob
Thomas and Sarah (Boltinhouse) Shanklin, both of whom came from Crawfordsville,
Indiana. The family came to Millerton,
California, in 1873, and in the spring of 1875 moved to Fresno, where the
father was a contractor and builder by trade.
Both of the parents are now deceased, and are buried at Fresno.
James
W. Shanklin received his education in the public schools, and as a boy entered
a printing office to learn the trade. He
helped to unpack the type and cases that were used to print the first issue of
the Fresno Republican on September 26, 1876, and it is an interesting fact that
he afterward owned and edited this newspaper.
There were seven shareholders of the paper in the beginning, and Chester
A. Rowell was editor and manager. Mr.
Shanklin was foreman in the plant for three years, then, in company with
Clarence Hedges, he purchased the Fresno Republican. In 1880 in partnership with A. J. Pilsbury,
he bought the Tulare Register which he published for a year, and in the spring
of 1882 again purchased the Fresno Republican, and sold a half interest to John
W. Short. In the spring of 1884, Mr.
Shanklin changed it to a daily sheet, and so continued until 1893. Later he was connected with various
newspapers until 1907. Then he worked in
the state printing plant at Sacramento under his old partner, Mr. Pilsbury, and
also did work on the Sacramento Union.
At this time he was induced by George E. Pierce to assume charge of the
Placerville Nugget. He did so, and
developed it into a first-class newspaper, remaining with it for three
years. He next engaged in promoting the
Diamond Ridge Ditch Company until 1911, at which time he was elected justice of
the peace and has served continuously in this capacity since. He also engages extensively in buying and
selling real estate. A Republican in
politics he has been most active in the party now serving as secretary of the
county central republican committee, and as a member of the state central
committee, representing El Dorado County and his opinions carry weight in party
councils. He is secretary of the
Placerville lodge of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
Mr.
Shanklin was married to Bardie M. Frey, a daughter of C. P. Winchell, a former
sheriff of the county and county administrator.
By a former marriage, Mr. Shanklin has three children, as follows: C. E., of Fresno, California; F. L., with the
Shell Oil Company; and Ouita, who is the wife of C.
Keenan, of San Francisco.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 2 Pages 438-441. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's El Dorado County Biographies