John H. Shafer
(1851-1931)

17th District Representative

Republican

No

44

April 26, 1851

Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory, United States

April 12, 1931

Mary Deliverance Forbush (1865-1889) Married October 9, 1881
Sariah Eveline Johnson (1872-1952) Married November 9, 1889

Freighter and Stockman

John Henry Shafer began working as a freighter at age seventeen and continued to do so for several years. He then became involved in farming and livestock. Shafer had no governmental experience before becoming a representative. As a legislator, he was “an uncompromising Republican, and as a lawmaker achieved considerable success, not as a speaker, for Mr. Shafer seldom occupied the time of the house, but in the committee room where his presence was always felt” (Drumm 1896, 72).

Drumm, Mark. "The Bee Hive State." Drumm's Manual of Utah, and Souvenir of the First State Legislature, 1896. Hathi Trust Digital Library. Salt Lake City, Utah: M. Drumm, 1896. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.hx4jb7.

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L211-J7H

Image of John H. Shafer by courtesy of HathiTrust Cropped from page 65 of Drumm, Mark. "The Bee Hive State." Drumm's Manual of Utah, and Souvenir of the First State Legislature, 1896. Hathi Trust Digital Library. Salt Lake City, Utah: M. Drumm, 1896. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.hx4jb7?urlappend=%3Bseq=71