Augustus R. Shively Who Lived In Wayne County, Ohio

Wooster Republican, April 17, 1862

There is still more information needed to complete the genealogy of Augustus R. Shively (A. R. Shively) who lived in Wayne County, Ohio.  Following is an attempt to compile what information was found for this article.

Augustus R. Shively was born about 1830 in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  He is listed on the 1850 Berks County, Pennsylvania census in the household of who is assumed his mother, Keziah Shively (born about 1808). Also listed are a possible sister, Keziah age 15 and brother, William age 10. 

A. R. Shively was married in Wayne County, Ohio on 15-May-1856 to Martha A. Robison.  She was the daughter of Thomas Robison and Jemima Dickey.

A.R. Shively, "Kissiah" Shively, and William Shively are listed on the 1860 Wayne County, Ohio census in the town of Wooster.   Also listed in the household is Martha, wife of A.R., and children Ella and John. 

    

In the Wooster Republican, Thursday, May 5, 1859, Page 3, Column 1 is located the following article which indicates that Mr. Shively was a business man in Wooster having purchased a foundry and machine shop.  There are numerous advertisements that appear in the Wooster newspaper.  An example of one of these ads is above.

Foundry and Machine Shop

   By advertisement in another column it will be seen that Mr. A. R. Shively has purchased the entire Foundry and Machine Shop of Mr. Harrison, and will push the business in a more extensive scale than ever.  It is his determination to not only do all kinds of casting, and mill work, but to build and repair engines of every description.  Mr. Shively has had long experience in the business, is an industrious, energetic, thorough business man, and we have no doubt will largely increase the business of this well known establishment.  He will keep the most competent workmen, and of course will turn out the best of work.  We know, from experience, that he has in his employ, one very skillful workman, Mr. Peabody, who has few equals in his department, in Ohio.

Mr. Shively had a financial loss from a fire which occurred in his stable in 1866.  Recorded in the Wooster Republican, Thursday, June 21, 1866, Page 4, Column 1:

Fire In Wooster

   Our citizens were aroused by the cry of fire, on Monday morning last, about 2 A.M., which proved to be in the stable and adjoining building of A. R. Shively.  The engines were on hand as soon as possible, but the fire had made such headway that the buildings were nearly destroyed.  The loss to Mr. Shively will be from $500 to $600, there being no insurance.  The fire was undoubtedly the work on an incendiary, as it commenced in the hay in the upper story, and there had been no fire kept in the building for some days previous.  There was a Meat Market in one of the lower rooms, being the only place where any fire had been kept in the building.  Mr. Shively intends rebuilding immediately, and the Meat Shop will be carried on as usual at the same place.

A. R. Shively died at the age of 40 in 1870.  Located in the Wooster Republican, Thursday, February 17, 1870, Page 3, Column 5 is the following:

DIED - February 7th, 1870, Mr. A. R. SHIVELY, in the 40th year of his age.

More information was located in the Commemorative Biographical Record Of Wayne County, Ohio, Containing Biographical Sketches Of Prominent and Representative Citizens, And Of Many Of The Early Settled Families, Illustrated, Chicago, J. H. Beers & Co., 1889, Pages 461-462:

MARTHA A. SHIVELY is the widow of A. R. Shively, one of Wooster’s formerly well-known citizens.  She was born in the house where she now lives, in Wooster, May 5, 1831.  Her family is more fully given under the name of her brother, Dr. James D. Robison, on another page.

On May 15, 1869, she was united in marriage with A. R. Shively, a native of Reading, Penn.  At the age of twenty-two he came to Wooster, and embarked in the foundry business, which he had learned in his native State, carrying it on in connection with an uncle.  Here he lived the rest of his life, dying in February, 1870, when but thirty-nine years of age.  By this marriage Mrs. Shively became the mother of six children:  Ellen D., wife of Rev. W. S. Cochran, of Caryopolis; John McB., a resident of Montana;  Ann, Mrs. Hugh M. Annat, of Wooster; Edward, living in Cleveland, Ohio; and George I. and Martha L., with their mother.  Mr. Shively was one of Wooster's progressive business men, and his loss was felt in the community, where he was esteemed as an upright man and a good citizen.  Since he husband's demise, Mrs. Shively has continued to live in her old home.  She is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Wooster, and is much respected.