Historic Pelham: Brief Biography of John M. Shinn, Supervisor of the Town of Pelham, Published in 1903

John M. Shinn served as Supervisor of the Town of Pelham from 1895 to 1904. He also was appointed Town Historian in 1925 and served in that capacity until 1931. He was a talented artist who painted a host of lovely oil paintings of historic scenes in and around Pelham. He donated those paintings to the Town of Pelham. They continue to hang in the Town Board Room on the second floor of Pelham's Town Hall located at 34 Fifth Avenue.

John Shinn moved with his family to Pelham in 1876. He had a home in Pelham until his death on October 15, 1936. Late in life he maintained a second residence in Mount Vernon. He resigned as Town Historian in anger when his residency and, thus, his eligibility to vote, was challenged during elections held in November, 1931.

Shinn served as a school teacher in the old one-room Prospect Hill Schoolhouse on Split Rock road for a number of years. He also served as principal of the Pelham Manor school, a private school with students from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Shinn obtained a law degree from New York University Law School and practiced for many years in Mount Vernon, while living in Pelham.

In 1894 Shinn was elected Tax Collector of the Town of Pelham and, the following year, was elected Supervisor. While serving as Supervisor of the Town of Pelham, he spent two years (from 1902 until 1904) as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester.

At the conclusion of Shinn's service as Supervisor, he suffered an embarrassing setback. The books and records of the Town were a total mess. It could not be determined if all the money collected as taxes had been properly accounted for during his service as Supervisor. Shinn denied any wrongdoing, cooperated completely with the subsequent investigations and offered to repay any funds that could not be accounted for during his tenure. Nevertheless, a lawsuit resulted and, eventually, Shinn was required to repay a few thousand dollars to the Town, although there was never any evidence of anything other than exceptionally sloppy bookkeeping.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog includes a photograph of Shinn and a brief biography of him published in 1903, followed by a citation to its source.

"JOHN M. SHINN"

Photograph Published in 1903.

Source: Beach, George O., ed., The Daily Eagle's Illustrated

History of Mt. Vernon Embracing a Descriptive History of its Local

Government, Religious, Social and Commercial Institutions,

With Biographical Sketches, p. 89 (Mt. Vernon, NY: Daily Eagle, 1903).

"JOHN M. SHINN, attorney and counselor at law, was born on October 25, 1849, at Dubuque, Iowa. His ancestors came to the United States in 1648 and settled in New Jersey. He was educated at the High School, Waterloo, Iowa, Polytechnic Institute, St. Louis, Mo., National University of Washington, New York Law School, New York City, and the University Law School. He is a Republican in politics and quite active. He was Collector of Taxes, and is now Supervisor of the town of Pelham, and was chairman of the Board of Supervisors for two years. He has been a member of the Board of Education and principal of the Pelham Manor School. At Washington, D. C., he was in charge of the collection and tabulation of statistics relating to the Roman Catholic Churches for 1880. He is a member of the Republi- [Page 89 / Page 90] can Clubs of the cities of New York, New Rochelle and Mount Vernon. He belongs to the Masonic Order, Royal Arcanum, Foresters and is a member of the Presbyterian Church at Pelham Manor. On October 20, 1876, he was married to Miss Isabelle King, formerly of London, England; there are three children living: Natalie F., Grace A. and John M., Jr. Mr. Shinn is a man of strict integrity and fine intelligence; he is particularly fitted for the profession which he has chosen to follow and his well known ability and public spirit have gained for him many admirers and friends."

Source: Beach, George O., ed., The Daily Eagle's Illustrated History of Mt. Vernon Embracing a Descriptive History of its Local Government, Religious, Social and Commercial Institutions, With Biographical Sketches, pp. 89-90 (Mt. Vernon, NY: Daily Eagle, 1903).

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