Jason G. Shepard: Father and Forger

In 1900, J.G. Shepard (b. 1825 in Connecticut) was listed as living in Salina, Kansas with the J.E. Whittier family of that town. He was 75 years old.

Why is this an interesting tidbit? Because all lives are interesting, whatever we may think! J.G. Shepard was, as most of my subjects are, from West Hartford, Connecticut. He was born in Bloomfield and married Catharine "Kate" Griswold on 12 September 1853. They owned a seemingly successful milk farm with 250 acres of land, nearly 40 cows, and an income of about $3000 per year in 1870.

So why is it that 30 years later, he was in Kansas living with a completely different group of people?

Jason and Kate had at least four sons and one daughter during their twenty-year marriage, but only one, their daughter Lillian, lived to adulthood (she will be the subject of my next post). The family lost Jason George Jr. at age 8 in 1867, Willis Eugene at age 2 in 1864, Frank Howard at age 1 in 1866, and John as an infant in 1873. Kate also died in 1873 just one week after the birth of John.

Jason was an important individual in the town, and at different times was the Chairman of the Milkman's Committee, the President of the Republicans of West Hartford, and presided over a celebration of Union victories in 1865. In addition, in 1855, the Courant noted that,

Mr. J.G. Shepard of West Hartfordinforms us that he cut a stalk of corn from his field which was fourteen feet and eight inches high. There were two ears of corn on the stalk. This beats Bristol by some 8 inches. 

Nutmeggers of the 19th century were incredibly proud of their agricultural feats!

While he was a man about town, Jason Shepard also had issues of his own. It seems that the panic of 1873 (and most likely the deaths of his wife and son) had an extremely negative effect on his farm. There was an extreme economic downturn that lasted for several years, during which is seems that Jason racked up some debt.

On April 3, 1976, an article appeared in the Courant entitled, "A Forger Absconds". On March 25, he apparently drove into Hartford and left his team and cart at a livery stable, purchased a couple of shirts, and hopped a train. It wasn't until several days later that a family member arrived in Hartford and recovered the team of horses. At that time, they realized that Jason had, "left town to escape his creditors." While it seemed that the farm had been doing well, Jason had been borrowing money to repay others.

It was apparently known for some time that he was "in great financial embarrassment", but that Saturday, the banks finally realized that he had forged over $800 worth of notes to pay his creditors- hence his disappearing act. Despite mortgaging the farm for $18,000, there was little left to pay those whom he owed money.

The Courant summed up the article with the following:

Mr. Shepard was well regarded as a neighbor and christian gentleman in West Hartford. He was well known in the city, having been a milk peddler for some twenty years. In his youth, he entered Yale college, but his health failed and he negotiated for his farm in West Hartford, borrowing capital to do do, and has not succeeded in relieving himself of that burden. He is not regarded as a naturally bad man, but rather a victim of adversity.

At the time of his disappearance, Jason had one daughter, Lillian, whom it seems was raised by relatives thereafter.

The gravestone of Jason G. Shepard and his family. From findagrave.com, photo by C. Greer.