Valentine Party Held In 1885 In Macon County, Illinois At Home Of E. W. Shively

The following newspaper article was extracted from The Decatur Daily Republican, Decatur, IL, Saturday Evening, February 14, 1885, Page 3, Column 5:

A Valentine Party

Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Shively gave a very pleasant and novel Valentine party at their cosy home, on West William street, last evening.  The guests were Mr. and Mrs. P. Loeb, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Swearingen, Mr. and Mrs. N. Hagerman, Mrs. S. P. Young, F. M. Young, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Barnes, Mr. and Mrs. I. A. Buckingham, Mrs. J. Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. B. K. Hamsher, Mrs. J. W. Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Albert T. Summers, J. C. Hostetler, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Lewis and Logan Phillips.  An elegant supper was served.  There was a surprise in store for the guests as they seated themselves at the table.  In each napkin was neatly folded a comic valentine, and all were so appropriate that the liveliest merriment was created.  All the hits were taken good-naturedly; but Mrs. John A. Barnes, a neighbor, who had been let into the valentine secret, planned a surprise for Mrs. Shively, and after she had had her fun, the second act was witnessed.  There was a knock at the door.  It opened, and there stood a messenger blind-folded, with a box marked dynamite in his hands.  He entered, and the box was opened with fear and trembling.  It was found to contain a comic photo valentine for Mr. Shively and a pair of terra cotta bisque statuary for Mrs. Shively.  These gifts caused renewed merriment.  The company separated at a late hour delighted with the visit.

Edward W. Shively (E. W. Shively) was the son of John Shively (born 12-Jan-1824 in Germany, died 24-Jul-1906 Delaware County, Ohio) and Elizabeth B. Gook (Cooke) (born 11-Nov-1830 Berks County, PA, died 28-Sep-1896 Delaware County, Ohio).  E. W. Shively married Mary Magdaline Smith Dora on 14-May-1879 in Coles County, IL. 

Listed on the 1880, Decatur, Fourth Ward, Macon County, IL census is Edward W. Shively age 27, a photo artist, born in Ohio and wife Dora, age 20, born in Missouri.  Extracted from The Decatur Daily Review, Tuesday Morning, April 13, 1886, Page 2, Column 2:

Shively, the photographer, has moved his headquarters from the Tower Art Gallery to his new rooms over F. L. Hays & Co.'s store, North Water street.  This gallery will have many advantages over any other he has ever occupied in this city, and will enable him to increase the beauty and excellence of his work.  He has remodeled, renovated and refurnished the entire gallery, adding the newest and latest appliances known to the photographer's art; also a camera for making large sized photograph groups, etc.  This makes by far the finest Gallery in the city.  He has also added the largest and finest line of gold, bronze, oak, metal and mahoganized frames over shown in the city.  Thanking you for past favors, he hopes to see his old patrons and welcomes new ones to his new art rooms.

The following article of interest was extracted from The Decatur Daily Republican, Monday, September 16, 1889, Page 3, Column 5:

Home From The West

Five Weeks In The Boom Section - Bought A Few Lots

S. R. Gher, the real estate dealer, and E. W. Shively, the photographer, are home from their journey of five weeks through the far west, spending most of their time at Spokane Falls, Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Astoria, Ilwaukee and Sea View, coming home by way of Salt Lake, Denver and Kansas City.  They went over the Northern route.

They reached Spokane a week after the great fire and where 30 of the business blocks were burnt down they found 40 new buildings going up, while in other quarters the firemen were throwing water on the burning embers and taking the ashes and debris out to give space for store tents.  The foundations for 90 buildings were completed before the visitors left the town - 43 on one street.  The fire ordinance is very strict, requiring 21-inch walls for the cellars and 17-inch walls above.  Both gentlemen invested in Spokane city lots, on one of which the Y.M.C.A. will erect a large building that will yield heavy rents.  One Spokane hardware firm received 22 carloads of hardware supplies direct from Chicago before Mr. Gher and Mr. Shively left.   They think the city has a greater future before it than ever.

They were in Tacoma a day, and were driven about the city in a double rig by Ed. Haworth and his associate in the real estate business.  Ed B. Judson and W. H. Olson are soon to start a coffin factory at Tacoma.

They found L. C. Pitner in the real estate business at Seattle, and everything booming.  It is said that L. L. Haworth was offered $14 a thousand for all the brick he could deliver at Seattle for five years.  The demand for building material of every description is far ahead of the supply.

At Portland Mr. Gher and Mr. Shively were entertained in a pricely manner at the home of Ira Brown, formerly of Decatur, who is doing well in Portland.

While at Sea View they took a surf bath.

Mr. and Mrs. Shively decided to move to Spokane Falls as reported in The Decatur Daily Republican, Wednesday Evening, April 9, 1890, Page 3, Column 5:

Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Shively and family and Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Acuff will leave tomorrow for Spokane Fall, Wash., where they will locate permanently.

Listed on the 1900, Butte city, Ward 2, Silver Bow County, Montana is Edward W Shively, photographer, born Aug 1855, wife Marie born Feb 1862, daughter Dora born Aug 1882, daughter Helen born Aug 1885 and William Dore, brother-in-law born May 1878.  Edward W is located on the 1910 and 1920 Spokane County, Washington census records.

Edward W. Shively died 3-Jan-1932 in Spokane County, Washington.  The following obituary was extracted from The Montana Standard, Butte, Montana, Sunday Morning, January 10, 1932, Page 5, Column 3:

Ex-Resident Of Butte Expires

News Received Of Death Of E. W. Shively In Spokane, Wash.

Edward W. Shively, 77, a former Butte resident and widely known photographer and mining man, died at Spokane, Wash., according to a message received here yesterday.  Mr. Shively's death was the result of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Surviving relatives are his widow, Mrs. Mary M. Shively; two daughters, Mrs. Nat Bostwick and Mrs. Edward C. Meiklejohn; three grandchildren, Mrs. Eustice McMasters, Mrs. David Hilger and David Bostwick.  Funeral services were conducted at Spokane.

Mr. Shively was born in Illinois and came west when he was a young man.  He lived for a time at Missoula and later at Helena.  After leaving the latter city he came to Butte, where he was engaged in mining before leaving for Spokane. During his residence in Washington he became prominent as a business man and photographer.