John D. Shanahan (1864-?)

John D. Shanahan

John David Shanahan was born 24 October 1864 in Buffalo, New York. He was still living in 1930.

He was the son of Daniel W. Shanahan (1840-?) and Mary M. Ulrich (1842-?), both natives of New York whose parents were all born in Ireland.

Sometime after 1880, John married his first wife (name unknown). By 1900, however, he was a widower and living in Ward 23 in Buffalo, New York. At that time, he was a clerk in the Grain Insurance business.

On 1 February 1905, John married again, this time to Minnie Frances Hare — her second marriage as well. She was born about 1861 in New York State. In the 1910 US Census, John and Minnie are enumerated in Precinct 7, Washington D.C. Census records indicate that Minnie had given birth to four children in her first marriage, two of them still living in 1910. One of them would be the Capt. Hare who accompanied his step-father on the A.R.A.-sponsored tour of Europe with Harry Harlan. The 1910 Census records John’s occupation as “Technologist” with the US Dept. of Agriculture.

Though John traveled to Europe several times before and after the 1919 tour, only the 1919 passport application remains on-line. In a letter supporting John’s travel abroad, John is described as being an official of the Food Administration Grain Corporation. His purpose was to visit the grain producing countries of Europe.

1919 US Passport Application

1919 US Passport Application

Supporting Letter for Passport

Upon return from Europe, John wrote a paper entitled, “The Wheat and Rye Crop of Europe in 1919.”

In the 1930 US Census, John and his wife Minnie are enumerated in Aurora, Erie County, New York. At age 65, John appears to still be working in the Grain business but the image is smudged and therefore illegible.

Nothing more found.