Shotwellj  
 
 

Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.


     JACOB A. SHOTWELL, one of Chelan county's enterprising and progressive business men, dividing his residence between Wenatchee and Mission, was born in LaPorte county, Indiana, March 21, 1851.  His father, Eden Shotwell, a native of Shotwell's Landing, Massachusetts, was of old and distinguished New England ancestry.  The mother, Ann (Haas) Shotwell, deceased, was born in Lynchburg, Virginia.
     Our subject was reared and educated in Illinois and Kansas.  On gaining his majority he filed on a quarter section of land in Kansas, where he continued agricultural pursuits for thirteen years, being principally engaged in the stock business.  He then came to The Dalles, Oregon, and for two years found employment in a machine shop.  Five years later he came to his present home in Chelan county, purchased three hundred and twenty acres of railroad land, of which he has since disposed of a portion.  He now has one hundred and sixty acres under cultivation, devoted to alfalfa, orchard and pasture.  He was awarded the first prize at the state fair for Arkansaw Black and Bellflower apples.  In 1901 he associated himself in partnership with John McCartney in the meat business at Wenatchee.  He winters between one hundred and fifty and two hundred head of cattle and many sheep, putting up three hundred tons of hay each season.  Mr. Shotwell has three brothers and two sisters, Nathan T., a farmer, residing near Mission; Joseph P.; Harvey, a civil engineer, residing at Seattle; Susan E., wife of James Welch; and Kate, wife of Mr. Mustetter, of Bennett, Nebraska.
     March 3, 1872, at Crawfordsville, Kansas, our subject was united in marriage to Susan Canfield, a native of Illinois.  To them have been born seven children: Harry T., mentioned elsewhere in this work; Lora, wife of Thomas McDonald, of Madera, California; Frank; Nora; Ralph; Lyman and Grace, at present residing with their parents.
     Mr. Shotwell, associated with his son Harry, built the first irrigation ditch in this vicinity, five miles in length, with laterals.  This they disposed of to the Wenatchee Power & Water Company, and it was extended to Wenatchee.  Our subject organized the company, investing every dollar he possessed in the enterprise.  The original company consisted of Mr. Holmes, T. Hughes, Louis Titchnel, Mr. Wilcox, Mr. Withrow, Dan Kane, Hans Hansen, A. S. Burbank, J. P. Shotwell and our subject and his son, Harry L. It was incorporated as the North Wenatchee Ditch Company, capital $10,000.  In April, 1902, they sold out to the new company, taking water rights in payment for their stock.
     Fraternally Mr. Shotwell is a member of the K. 0. T. M.  Politically he is a Republican.