Divine Intervention: The Story of James Rubin Shepard

By Cole Brown

Born at the peak of the Civil War in 1863, James Rubin Shepard faced overwhelming tragedy and daunting personal disability in his struggle to rise above his obstacles and persevere. Even so, his intelligence and academic prowess helped him find a way through the difficulties he encountered.

Divine Intervention tells the life story of James Shepard, from early childhood through his dreams of becoming a lawyer and entering politics, ambitions that were forestalled when a sudden hearing ailment brought on total deafness. This disability, poorly understood in the late nineteenth century, left him in mental and emotional anguish. As James struggled to quiet the turmoil within his soul, he also searched for a way to reconcile himself to his strange and silent new world and to the fact that he had to leave his lofty dreams behind.

This fictionalized memoir shares the remarkable life of James Rubin Shepard, offering a true and inspiring story set in late nineteenth-century America.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Apr 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781480830479

Cole Brown

Cole Brown was born in Lansing, Michigan. After living and working in North Orange County, California, for fifteen years, he returned to Michigan, where he currently lives with his wife of thirty-one years, Kathy, and their two children.

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© 2016 Cole Brown.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Archway Publishing

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Photo credit for cover: Merry Brown Harshey

ISBN: 978-1-4808-3046-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-3047-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016906440

Archway Publishing rev. date: 04/15/2016

Contents

Introduction - Divine Intervention: The Story of James Rubin Shepard

Chapter One: Iroquois County, Illinois And Beyond

Chapter Two: A Boy Unleashed

Chapter Three: A Teacher Is Born

Chapter Four: Love and Labor

Chapter Five: A Clear Future

Chapter Six: The Struggle Begins

Chapter Seven: Washington D.C.

Chapter Eight: Divine Intervention

Chapter Nine: Introspection

Chapter Ten: Preparation

Chapter Eleven: Exodus

Chapter Twelve: Holsteins

Chapter Thirteen: Cataclysm

Chapter Fourteen: The Castle

Chapter Fifteen: The White City

Chapter Sixteen: Marjorie

Chapter Seventeen: Peter Nathaniel Fales

Chapter Eighteen: Timberland Inferno

Chapter Nineteen: Bennett Field and the Georgia Peach

Chapter Twenty: Of Young Love, Comets, and the Sinister

Chapter Twenty-One: The Wedding

Epilogue: Silver Linings

Afterword

About the Author

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This book is dedicated to

Neva Shepard Brown

The Great Eagle

Introduction - Divine Intervention: The Story of James Rubin Shepard

T his is the story of my great grandfather, James Rubin Shepard. Born during the peak of the Civil war in 1863, he faced obstacles and challenges from the day of his birth. His story of perseverance in the face of adversity is exhilarating as well as uniquely American.

My original motivation to tell this story begins at my mother’s memorial in January of 2013. My mother, Neva Shepard Brown, passed away on Christmas day 2012 at the age of ninety-five. Neva, third of twelve children, the granddaughter of James Rubin Shepard, lived a full, wonderful life. She was the type of lady who had a smile and positive word for everyone. You came away inspired and uplifted every time you encountered my mother. This book is dedicated to her memory. At her memorial a cousin gave me a letter written by James R. Shepard in the late 1920’s. It was the story of his life. I found the narrative profoundly shocking, compelling and thought-provoking. It is a triumphant sojourn through life. I have spent the last two years consumed in thought regarding my great grandfather and his life. After a great deal of reflection, I resolved to investigate and examine the life of James R. Shepard further as well as the genealogy of my entire family.

Through the study of my own lineage I developed a desire and passion to tell my great grandfather’s story. How to do it was not so clear. Finally, I became determined to attempt to write this book. I am an aspiring author, hopefully, with a heartening story. Since it’s been over seventy years since my great grandfather passed away, there are very few people left to provide me with insight into his personality and communication style. I have only a very short narrative written by James, a brief overview of his life story. It is the framework I used for this novel. The rest is research and historical timeline, as well as creative embellishment.

I learned quickly that, to write this with any historical accuracy, I would need to pore over and examine countless documents, pictures and letters. I pieced together how I envisioned my great grandfather’s life unfolding. Knowing where he came from, the challenges folks on the frontier faced daily, and his meteoric rise through the academic hurdles before him, gradually his joys, sorrows and struggles came to life in my mind’s eye. For one fleeting minute I felt myself walking in his shoes. The research is patience, frustration and long hours of work. Creating from historical timeline what could have, and ultimately did happen to James Shepard was stimulating, great fun. The people, places and events of this book are, for the most part, absolutely true. I must admit to creative license from time to time.

Everyone on earth is a rare phenomenon. When you think of the thousands of years of miracles, death being cheated and certain divine intervention needed for each one of us to be here at this moment in time, it’s truly marvelous. Each and every one of us is a true miracle. When I consider the hundreds of relatives in my family currently sprinkled around the globe, I am profoundly grateful to the perseverance of James Rubin Shepard. For one brief moment my entire family’s future was on his shoulders alone. He made a valiant journey indeed.

There are several people whose involvement was constructive and essential in seeing this to its completion. Kathy Gale Brown spent hours sifting through the content and enhancing the text via her editing efforts. Gregory Brown assisted in the final editing and construction of the manuscript. Gale Brown was instrumental in editing as well. I would like to thank my good friends Ron Gallagher and Jeri Tucker for their enthusiasm and moral support. My brother, Joel Brown followed this entire process and added important critical guidance. Merry Brown Harshey helped me out with her excellent renderings and illustrations. At the risk of leaving someone out who played an important role, I will dispense with names right here. Suffice to say I could not have attempted this without the help and moral support of many. Last, but certainly not least, Neva Shepard Brown and James Rubin Shepard. My incentive for tackling this is a direct result of the influence of my mother, as well as the despondency and ecstasy of my great grandfather.

James Shepard’s hope, when he wrote the story of his life, was that other people would read it and draw the resolution to overcome life’s obstructions.

I hope this effort achieves at least some of that goal.

February 2016

Cole Brown

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James Shepard at two years old.

Chapter One: Iroquois County, Illinois And Beyond

I n a twelve-foot by sixteen-foot shack or lean- to my great grandfather James Rubin Shepard entered this world via the wind swept prairie of Iroquois County, Illinois on June 7 th , 1863. The entire county boasted no more than ten thousand occupants at the time. Living in a small French settlement of largely itinerant farmers, the families of the region scratched out a living best described as poor. Even though he would spend only four years in this community, James became fluent in the French language early on. The spoken words he heard there stayed in his memory his entire life.

The Shepard family can be traced back to the 1600’s, where they laid down roots in the British Colony of Barbados in the Lesser Antilles. After three generations on the island the family moved on to a new opportunity in Canada, also a British territory, in the late 1600’s. Moving on to the American Colonies in the 1700’s, with a brief stay in Maryland, the family moved steadily west until finally arriving in Illinois by the mid 1800’s.

Martin Shepard and Abigail Van Curen had grown up along the Pennsylvania-Ohio boarder. As youngsters they had been friendly acquaintances, seeing each other once a month at the regional Quaker meeting their families attended together. Since the Quaker religion does not employ official pastors or ordained ministers, a parishioner or layperson always leads their monthly meetings. Abigail’s father, Nathaniel, was frequently asked to lead services, as was Martin’s father, James. Martin and Abigail spent a lot of time together as their fathers helped organize and conduct monthly meetings.

As time went on and the preteens became young adults, their casual friendship developed into a burgeoning fascination and eventually courtship. In 1860 Abigail’s mother and father, Marjorie and Nathaniel, seized an opportunity to homestead one hundred sixty acres of land in northeastern Indiana. Martin and Abigail, who had stayed behind in Pennsylvania, married in 1862 and followed the Van Curen’s to the Midwest, ultimately settling in Iroquois County, Illinois. Martin worked as a hired hand for several of the farmers in the small French settlement they called home. He suffered from a chronic breathing difficulty since childhood and was susceptible to any illness or affliction that invaded the community. Martin had difficulty holding down any job; his employers would grow weary of his deficient, feeble job performance. Due to his various health challenges, he bounced from one abject, menial job to the next.

By the mid 1860’s, Martin and Abigail found themselves on the Illinois prairie attempting to claw out a living among the destitute frontier folk. James’ brother Henry was born in 1866, and Martin struggled to supply and accommodate the essential staples of everyday living for his family. The country was just beginning to work its way back from the Civil War, which had ended a year earlier, leaving the economy and nation broken and in ruins. Rebounding was proving acutely difficult.

As Martin and Abigail endeavored to provide for their little family, the world was going through exciting and noteworthy events and innovations. In October of 1861, the telegraph connected the west coast of the United States to the east coast, bringing an end to the Pony Express. A year later, Victor Hugo had his historical novel Les Miserables published. Also in 1862, paper money was issued for the first time in the United States. In 1863, the first underground subway passenger system opened in London, England. In 1866, Cole Younger joined up with Frank and Jesse James and their outlaw gang. In 1869 the transcontinental railroad was completed where east meets west at Promontory Point, Utah, when the golden spike was hammered into place on May 10th. Also in 1869, women won suffrage in Wyoming, and the Suez Canal opened for business.

By 1866, the country was still trying to recover from the loss of President Lincoln on April 15, 1865. John Wilkes Booth did not achieve his desired effect with his murderous deed. He had not become an instant hero in the South; he was reviled even in Dixie. The reconstruction of the South was dealt a major blow and set-back with Lincoln out of the picture. Andrew Johnson did not possess the strength of character or political skill set to effectively manage the rebuilding of the South. He was a miserable failure as Lincoln’s successor and seventeenth President of the United States. The death of Lincoln had a negative impact on the country that lasted for decades to come.

From April 18th through April 20th, 1865, Lincoln’s body was available for public viewing at the White House and then at the Capitol Rotunda. On April 21st, 1865, a nine-car funeral train left Washington D.C. on a twelve-day trip through seven states. The train made twelve major stops during the trip in cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Cleveland and Chicago. The President’s remains would be displayed for public viewing in each location for a day before moving on to the next destination. Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln’s hometown, was the last stop for the train and would be Lincoln’s final resting place. The funeral train rolled through four hundred forty-four small communities on its way to Springfield.

Abigail and Martin Shepard were among those who witnessed the funeral train pass through Michigan City, Indiana, on May 1, 1865 at eight a.m. A two-year-old James Shepard was in attendance with his parents that day, along with hundreds of others who crowded and pushed their way forward, straining to catch a glimpse inside the last of the nine cars, which held the remains of the great man. A select, small contingent of dignitaries was allowed to board the train that day and view the body. It was only a thirty five-minute layover before proceeding on to Chicago Illinois. Still, if you had been on hand that day as the train holding the earthly remains of the 19th century icon and martyr rolled through Michigan City, you could relive the event for years to come through the tales told to countless friends and relatives.

Martin had attempted to enlist with the Illinois Militia twice early on during the Civil War and had been rejected both times due to health concerns. Only twenty-six years old at the beginning of the conflict, frontier life had been punishing and harsh, leaving Martin old and spent. The average American would live only to their mid-thirties. Martin would not survive beyond 1870.

James was taught the letters of the alphabet from Abigail’s Bible and retained this information at a very early age. He had the ability to picture each individual letter and keep it in a photo-like limbo within his mind, always available when needed. It was abundantly clear that young James had some remarkable skills in memory and language.

Martin Shepard had the opportunity to purchase a small cabin from his father-in-law Nathaniel Van Curen after the Civil War in the late 1860’s. Due to Martin’s poor health, Nathaniel helped the small family move from Illinois one hundred fifty miles east to Whitley County in northeastern Indiana. The move would prove fortuitous, as it would reunite Abigail with her mother and father. Nathaniel and Marjorie Van Curen had moved west from Pennsylvania. Both were raised in the pious Quaker tradition. Faith and hard work guided daily life. With a small nest egg provided by their families, they headed to the fertile corn country of Whitley County, Indiana. Their new habitat was eventually located two miles east of Columbia City not far from Ft. Wayne. Upon arrival in 1860 they built a small cabin and set up their one hundred sixty acre homestead. That same cabin would later become Abigail and James’ new beginning when Martin and little Henry passed away less than two months apart in 1870. Marjorie had no illusions about her husband Nathaniel. He was a true miser, his penny pinching ways being a product of the times and his Quaker background. Nothing came easily or replaced industrious effort. Eighteen-hour days were mandatory to complete the various tasks required on a daily basis. Livestock needed constant attention; so did the land.

The Van Curen’s purchased their land in two eighty-acre parcels located one mile apart. They built a three-room cabin on one plot and at this location they also built three outbuildings principally to house livestock. A small stock of beef cattle, as well as pigs, two milk cows, ten sheep, a half dozen chickens, and two horses needed attention daily. There was also a small family garden with a selection of vegetables to hoe, weed and water when in season. The stream was a quarter of a mile away making water transport difficult. With their three children grown and living independent lives, these daily chores fell to Marjorie. Nathaniel left at 6:30 a.m. every morning to tend the fields, eighty additional acres of cash crops (primarily corn) one mile away. There he housed two oxen in a small shed with his farming gear. Their original one-room cabin was also on this second eighty-acre plot.

Young James was pressed into service forthwith upon meeting Grandpa Van Curen. Most days were spent with his grandfather, mucking out ox stalls, carrying water, assisting at planting and harvest. His grandfather was strict and expected James’ best effort. Though short for his age, James had broad shoulders and was slim at the waist. A shock of dark brown hair topped off a face featuring a pug nose and wide engaging smile. Though a strict task master, Nathaniel loved his grandson and could see the painful loss in his sky blue eyes, losing his father and brother at virtually the same time at such a tender age. But, unfortunately, death came much earlier in those days and much too often. Doctors and medications of the day made little impact on the numerous ailments and afflictions of the era.

And so as he arrived in Indiana James Shepard’s education, in a myriad of forms, began in earnest, fervent fashion. Grandpa Van Curen, though with little formal education, understood its value and insisted James attend school daily and always on time. He also expected him home promptly afterward ready to work. James looked forward to his school days and time with Grandfather Van Curen with interest and enthusiasm.

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James Rubin Shepard at ten years old.

Chapter Two: A Boy Unleashed

J ames Shepard applied himself to his studies and farm work immediately upon arrival in Indiana. For such a young lad he had a clear understanding of what was needed to be a future success. His mother was physically and emotionally stricken and ailing from years of battling various frontier illness and grief. Even as an eight-year-old the sense of urgency existed within him.

In November of 1871, James came down with a terrible flu like condition that sent his temperature soaring with an upper respiratory congestion, causing him to wheeze and gasp. His skin took on a pinkish cast highlighted by splotches of brilliant crimson. The illness had a major effect on his ears, nose and throat, which appeared bright red and swollen. Swallowing anything for three days was next to impossible, the pain was agonizing. The possibility of seeing death claim her only remaining child was almost more than Abigail could cope with. Her own health frail at best, she would ultimately endure this horrible scare.

At length, James came through his ill health and confinement to bed and resumed his daily agenda. He was able to keep up his reading, a true passion, during his sickness. Catching up school work didn’t take long and harvest was long since completed. During the winter months James helped his grandparents with the livestock, hauled ice from the stream