Adam was born at
Jamestown, Greene Co., Ohio, on 8 May 1814. He was the son of
John L. Shigley and
Barbara Potts. He married
Rachel O'Shal at
Tippecanoe Co., Indiana, on 26 February 1835. Adam P. Shigley and
Rachel O'Shal were divorced on 17 February 1852 at
Tippecanoe Co., Indiana; Rachel O'Shel Shigley divorced her husband, Adam P. Shigley after Adam abandoned her and their five surviving children after 18 years of marriage.
The following is the original divorce complaint brought before the Tippecanoe Co. Circuit Court during the February 1852 term by solicitors Chafin and O'Brian representing Rachel Shigley.
"To the Honorable Isaac Taylor, Judge of said Court in Chancery Setting:
Humbly complaining showing unto your Honor, your Oratrix Rachel Shigley now and for many years, a resident of said county that about eighteen years since she intermarried with one Adam P. Shigley (who your Oratrix prays may be made defendant herein) and lived with him as a dutiful, faithful and affectionate wife until the 14th day of October 1851. When the said Adam, without any cause or fault whatever on the part of your Oratrix abandoned her and fled from the State of Indiana. That he took with him one Sabrina Turner, the wife of one of his neighbors, a woman about twenty eight years of age, and a woman of infamous character, and with whom, as your Oratrix has since learned, the said defendant had long been maintaining illicit and adulteress intercourse and you Oratrix expressly charges that the said defendant is guilty of adultery with the said base woman, Sabrina Turner, with whom he eloped as aforesaid, and left the State of Indiana with the intention as your Oratrix believes and charges of never returning. That even should he return his treatment and infidelity to her have been such as to render it utterly impossible that she could ever be reconciled to live with him again. Your Oratrix further shows unto unto your Honor that during the 18 years she has been the wife of the said Shigley, she has from him thirteen children all of whom have died in childhood except five who are now with your Oratrix, viz. Mary Jane, age 16 years; Barbara E., aged 12 years; Hester A., 5 years; Deborah A., 3 years and George W., aged one year.
These five helpless children are dependent upon your Oratrix for sustenance, and like her are abandoned by this cruel and unnatural husband and father. Your Oratrix further shows unto your Honor, that the time she was married to said Shigley, neither she nor he was possessed of much property. That at the time said Shigley left aforesaid he was the owner of 93 acres of land in Tippecanoe County and of some personal property and money; that he took with him his horse and buggy loaded with his possessions and all the money he could raise. That she believes there are some debts due and owing against the said Shigley. That she fears he will sell and dispose of all his property and thereby bring our Oratrix and her children to great want.
In consideration of this state of facts your Oratrix says that the bonds of matrimony now existing between your Oratrix and said defendant be declared dissolved. That she be permitted to have the care and custody of her said said children who she tenderly loves and that to enable her to support them she be permitted to enjoy the personal property now in her possession and that she may have a decree for alimony against she defendant, in such case as to your Honor may deem proper, and for such other and further belief as Equity and good conscience may require." Adam Shigley erected the first hotel on the west side of Waterloo in 1853. It was a one and a half story, 16' by 24' log house on Third Street near the corner of Cedar Avenue, not far from the west bank of the Cedar River. In the fall of 1853, Adam Shigley sold this hotel to Seth Lake who operated it as a tavern and boarding house. Adam P. Shigley married
Sabrina Turner. Adam P. Shigley lived in 1856 at
Van Buren Co., Iowa. Adam died on 18 March 1900 at
Mankato, Blue Earth Co., Minnesota, at age 85. He was New Tag From the 20 March 1900 Mankato Review comes the following obituary for Adam P. Shigley:
"Adam P. Shigley Is Dead
Well-Known Character Passes Away Sunday Morning
An Eventful Life at an End - Fought Through the Mexican and Several Wars
Adam P. Shigley, one of the best known and one of the very oldest of the pioneer residents of Mankato, died at 2:30 o'clock Sunday morning, after an illness extending over a period of several months. Death was due to cancer and a complication of diseases.
Mr. Shigley resided on Parry Street, Bunker Hill, and shrubbery that almost hid from view the "old homestead" where the old genteman and his housekeeper, Mrs. Catherine Ross, lived alone for so many years. Mr. Shigley was a quaint old character and to know him was to have a love and affection for him that was deep seated.
Was With Buffalo Bill
This pioneer, guide, scout, trapper and hunter, this former partner of Buffalo Bill, this old warrior who was with Gen. Scott in the war with Mexico, and who fought to save the whites in a number of Indian outbreaks, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 8, 1818. His father was a Methodist minister. When a youth his parents moved to the west, settling in Illinois. Young Shigley was of an adventurous spirit and early in life he started out to pave his own way over the rough billows that were encountered by those who sought a home in the unbroken county. While yet a boy he was in the Black Hawk war, afterward going into Iowa and at what is now Waterloo he met that famous plainsman and scout Buffalo Bill. The two traveled together as far as the Missouri River. Buffalo Bill wanted Mr. Shigley to go further west, but the later did not wish to and the two men separated, after having trapped, hunted and scouted together for over a year. Mr. Shigley returned to Waterloo in 1857. Buffalo Bill never forgot his old-time partner for when the Wild West show visited here during last summer Mr. Cody, with his compliments, sent to Mr. Shigley tickets to the performance, also a request that his friend call and see him, at his tent on the grounds. As Mr. Shigley was not in the best of health he could not call on Mr. Cody.
In The Inkpaduta War
During the early part of the year 1857, the Inkpaduta Indian War broke out. It was during this outbreak that the Spirit Lake massacre occurred. Mr. Shigley was living near Springfield. He was interested in a store where the Indians traded a great deal. Mr. Shigley was hunting and trapping, selling skins and furs, as he had been for years. He owned a claim near the store for which he paid a $5 gold piece to a United States mail carrier. One day while setting his traps on this claim he heard a gun shot off in the direction of the store. Hardly had the echo of that one shot died out when another was heard. The trapper knew in an instant what those shots meant. The Indians were committing depredations. He crawled into the bush and as soon as the redskins went to the store for the purpose of looting the place, he approached the house, where one person had been killed and several wounded. Shigley unfortunately did not have his gun with him, having left it in his cabin, some distance away. Finally he was allowed to enter the house, the panic-stricken inmates having suspected on the start that he was an Indian. Mr. Shigley bound up the wounded and after a while the women became frightened, fearing the redskins would return and complete the work of destruction. They finally prevailed upon Mr. Shigley to go with them toward the south. There were nine people in the party, several feet of snow covered the ground and the weather was dreadfully cold. After a hazardous trip of twenty miles Grange's cabin, where Estherville now stands, was reached. Food was obtained there and the party recuperated for a journey to Fort Dodge. While stopping at Grange's cabin a lady named Mrs. Smith and Mr. Shigley's 3-year-old-boy, joined the party, they having made the trip alone, following the trail from Springfield to the cabin. These two had been left at Springfield under the impression they had been killed by the Indians. Mr. Shigley saw the party safely to Fort Dodge where there was a troop of United States soldiers. It was at Fort Dodge that Mr. Shigley became separated from his boy.
Boy's Name Is Changed
While Mr. Shigley was always kindhearted, in fact one of the best hearted men that ever lived and his kindly smile went out to all whom he came in contact, there was underneath the surface a sadness that was born many years ago and which was caused by an unfortunate love affair and the loss of his only child. There was touch of the sorrowfully romantic connected with the old trapper's life. When Mr. Shigley and the party that escaped from Springfield reached Fort Dodge he was pressed into the government's service on account of his ability to speak the Indian language. His 3-year-old-boy was taken in charge of by a Major Williams. As Mr. Shigley was compelled to leave for the front and he was away from Fort Dodge many months, all trace of his son was lost, and from that day until his death the father never again saw the boy. About three years ago Mr. Shigley got a slight trace of the boy in Mexico, but all efforts to locate him proved him futile. A number of years ago Mr. Shigley engaged a couple of lawyers to assist him in his efforts to find the boy, but his whereabouts were never learned. As the boy's name was changed by Major Williams, he grew up not knowing what his true name was. He, of course, last all track of his own father.
Near the close of the year 1857, Mr. Shigley came to Mankato. He resided here continually since that time, with the exception of the time when he made journeys about the country fishing, hunting and trapping. At one time he was with a party of surveyors who passed through the southern part of Minnesota, and who surveyed in and about the site of Jackson. Of late years Mr. Shigley confined himself to his garden, his nursery, his apiary and his trees and shrubbery and flowers. He was a great lover of nature and would have rather lived alone in the woods than elsewhere. He seldom came down to the business part of the city, but often his friends called on him at his home on Bunker Hill, where he always extended to them a hearty welcome.
A year ago last February Mr. Shigley received a visit from Mrs. Abbie Gardner-Sharp, of Okoboji, Iowa. Her call brought back to the old gentleman's mind the days of the Indian troubles at Spirit Lake, when the Yankatonians made war upon the whites. Mrs. Gardner-Sharp was herself captured by the Indians and forced to live with them three months, having been rescued from them at Ashton, some 200 miles distant by the government troops. Mr. Shigley rescued Mrs. Sharp's sister, a girl 16 years old, carrying her on his back from Lake Okoboji to a place of safety, many miles away, traveling through snow drifts, crossing swollen streams and encountering dangers that when related today seem to be beyond human belief. To Mrs. Sharp, Mr. Shigley gave a large number of relics that had been preserved by him through many years. The girl Mr. Shigley rescued is now living in Indiana and is married.
On the pioneer's monument at Spirit Lake, erected a number of years ago, can be found the name of Adam P. Shigley, a tribute to his bravery.
Was at the Defense of New Ulm
When the Sioux outbreak occurred in this section of 1862, Mr. Shigley was one of the first to respond to the call to arms. He was at the gallant defense of New Ulm and performed many feats of bravery and daring.
Through all the wars and Indian outbreaks Mr. Shigley passed without receiving a wound or a scratch. He seems to possess a charmed life for notwithstanding the many dangerous places he managed to get into he always came out unharmed. At one battle during the Mexican war the sole of his shoe was shot off, but Mr. Shigley was not injuried. The trapper could talk with great fluency the language of the Black Hawks, the Winnebagoes, the Miamias and the Sioux Indians. He was also versed in French.
Mr. Shigley was one of eleven brothers, all of who died a number of years ago. One of them formerly resided at Morristown. So far as known the only living relatives are two nephews who live in Indiana. One is Dr. A.A. Mahin, presiding elder of the Richmond district, Northern Indiana, the other is Dr. Milton Mahin, of Newcastle, who was presiding elder thirty years. Both of these divines are eminent in their profession and are among the foremost of the Methodist clergyman in their state. Dr. J.M. Driver is one of their most intimate of friends.
Mr. Shigley was himself a diamond in the rough, a man of sterling qualities and of the strictest integrity. His was an eventful life, few of his kind are now on earth. They gradually pass to the unknown beyond, their souls returning to their God.
The funeral of Mr. Shigley was held from his home at 2 o'clock this afternoon, Dr. J.M. Driver officiating. The interment occurred at Glenwood." On 20 March 1900 at
Mankato, Blue Earth Co., Minnesota. He was buried on 20 March 1900 at
Glenwood Cemetery, Mankato, Blue Earth Co., Minnesota.