S. C. CARMACK. This gentleman, the genial and popular landlord of the well-known and widely patronized hotel in Monongahela, known as the "Sheplar House," comes of German ancestry. Peter Carmack, the first of the family known to have been born in America, was reared and married somewhere "east of the mountains," and in an early day came to Bedford county, Penn., settling in the town of St. Clairsville, where he followed his trade of shoemaker during the rest of his life. He was in politics an Old-line Whig. The children born to him, eight in number, were Abraham, Daniel, Peter, Rachel, Susanna, Maria, and two whose names are now unknown. Of this family, Abraham Carmack was born in Bedford county, Penn., and at the early schools of St. Clairsville received a fairly liberal education for those days. Learning blacksmithing, he followed that trade in his native county, in Somerset county, and for a time in Monongahela, whither he had come in 1839. Shortly after his arrival here, he took up the trade of stone mason which he followed during the rest of his life. He died in 1864, a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Baptist church. He married Susanna Wickham, of Hancock, Md., and t he follow named children were born to them: Josiah W., Zachariah, Hezekiah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Ameriah, Soriah, Maria, Annah Sophia, Margaret Keziah, and Rachel Soriah and Savannah. The mother of this family departed this life in 1884. In 1852 Hezekiah Carmack married Miss Louisa Crall, of Monongahela, and they had two children: S. C. and Susie V. Mr. Carmack went to California in march, 1852, by the overland route, the trip occupying five months, and while en route he fell exhausted from thirst. A friend ran three miles for water, and returned with some just in time to save the life of the nearly expiring man. When he arrived in Sacramento, Mr. Carmack worked for a time at his trade, that of molder, and then took up land and commenced farming, but a disastrous flood came, which so discouraged him that he betook himself to the mountains, there to try his luck at mining. Here he, I. Shelby Crall and Lenard Savage located the "Savage Mine" at Virginia City, Nev. After leaving that place, Mr. Carmack located in North San Juan, where he built a sawmill, at the same time interesting himself in mining. He afterward sold out and proceeded to Chico, Butte Co., Cal., and again took up farming, including the raising of stock, which he is yet engaged in at the same place. In politics he is a straight Democrat. S. C. Carmack, the subject proper of this sketch, was born February 28, 1862, in North San Juan, Cal., where he received his education. In 1882 he came to Monongahela, and here for some three years worked in Mark Boreland & Son's clothing store, and then for H. Landefeld two years. In April, 1892, he took charge of what is now known as the "Sheplar House," a hostelry he conducts with characteristic ability, care and judgment, and where he is building up a reputation as caterer for the traveling public and others, second to none in the county. On April 13, 1888, while employed in the store of M. Boreland & Sons, Mr. Carmack was married to Lillie, daughter of the late James P. Sheplar (of whom a brief sketch follows), and one child, Prescott, has been born to them. In his political preferences Mr. Carmack is a Republican. James P. Sheplar (deceased), who in his lifetime was one of the best representative men of Monongahela, was a native of the county, born in Peters township April 21, 1822, a son of Philip and Mary (Hill) Sheplar, the former of whom first saw the light in Washington county, where he was reared and educated. He married Mary, daughter of Henry Hill, of the same county, and the children born to them were John (deceased), Jacob (in Davenport, Iowa), James P. (deceased), Henry (deceased), Nancy (wife of Capt. James Campbell, of river fame, now residing at Huntington, W.Va.), Marvin (deceased), Samuel (on a stock ranch, Santa Rosa, Cal.), Josephine (wife of Dorvile Libbey, in San Francisco, Cal), and Cyrus (deceased). Philip Sheplar was all his life an enterprising agriculturist in the county, and for years was proprietor of the "Nation Hotel" in Pittsburgh. In politics he was a Whig and Republican, and in church connection a Baptist. He died in Pittsburgh about the year 1862. James P. Sheplar attended the common schools of the neighborhood of his boyhood home, and when eighteen years of age went to West Alexander where he learned blacksmithing with a man named McGowan. Afterward he worked at his trade in Washington, Manchester, Connnellsville and West Newton, and later was engaged in peddling stoves in Washington county. In 1852 he went to California by the overland route, the journey taking from March to July 4, following, and here followed his trade for a short time until he commenced mining; but at the latter occupation he did not long remain, for we find that he soon returned to his old trade among the "gold diggers." Returning to Washington county in 1852, he concluded to make his future home in Monongahela, and having purchased the "Hempfield House," he successfully conducted the same until 1883, when he retired from the hotel business and removed to a comfortable dwelling he had erected in the same town. Some time after taking the hotel he changed its name to "Sheplar House," by which it is now known. In connection with the hotel business, Mr. Sheplar at one time dealt largely in sheep, leaving the "House" in the care of his wife while he was absent in Texas buying sheep. There he left them, however, as the war was then in progress, and returned to Washington county, but afterward revisited Texas and sold of his purchase what of the sheep could then be found. He also paid no little attention to the oil development in the vicinity of Oil City, Penn., being interested in several wells there. On September 10, 1851, Mr. Sheplar was married to Sarah A., daughter of Abraham Teeters, a native of Monongahela, where he was educated and learned the trade of hatter, which he followed some years. He married Nancy Marshall, of Maryland, and their children were Eliza, Mahala, Washington, Marshall, Sarah A., Susan, Daniel, Bird and John, of whom but two survived: Sarah A. (Mrs. Sheplar), and Washington (a resident of Chicago). In politics, Mr. Teeters was an active Democrat, in religion a prominent member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, being an officer in the same. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Sheplar were as follows: Josephine (now living at Riverside, Cal, the widow of I. B. Miller), Wilbert (in San Francisco, Cal.), Cora and Arba (both deceased), and Lillie (Mrs. S. C. Carmack). Mr. Sheplar died September 18, 1891, aged nearly seventy years; his widow is still a resident of Monongahela, at the old hotel site. Mr. Sheplar was a conservative business man, careful and prudent, and at the time of his death was the owner of eleven distinct properties in Monongahela, his estate being computed as worth something over $60,000. In early life he was a Whig, but in 1856 he changed his politics, and from then till his decease was an enthusiastic Democrat. He frequently served his city as councilman (at one time as president of the council), school director, etc., and twice was placed in nomination by a Democrat county convention, once for treasurer and once for assembly; he also was once a candidate for the position of sheriff. In religion he was an Episcopalian, and was one of the original vestrymen of St. Paul's Church in Monongahela. Socially he was a leading member of the I. O. O. F., having been one of the organizers and charter members of the Lodge in Monongahela. At a meeting held in Council Chambers, Monday, October 5, 1891, the members of the Select and Common Councils of Monongahela passed appropriate in memoriam resolutions upon the death of their justly esteemed friends and colleagues.

Text taken from page 394 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed June 1997 by Kathy Petty of Evansville, IN as part of the Beers Project. Published June 1997 on the Washington County, PA pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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