Plumas County Biographies

Transcribed by Sally Kaleta Jun 2009

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Illustrated History of PLUMAS, LASSEN & SIERRA Counties
with CALIFORNIA from 1513 to 1850, Farriss & Smith , 1882, San Francisco.


BIOGRAPHIES OF SENATORS AND ASSEMBLYMEN

THOMAS B. SHANNON.- Is a native of Pennsylvania. In early life he emigrated to 
Illinois, where he worked at the tinsmithing trade. In 1849 he came to 
California, and worked at his trade for E. C. Ross in Marysville. From there he 
removed to the upper Sacramento region, and engaged in gaming and sporting. In 
1854 Shannon came into Plumas county,  and with James A. Blood started a store 
at Elizabethtown. Under the law creating the board of supervisors, Shannon was 
elected a member of the Plumas board April 9, 1855, from District No. 2. He was 
re-elected that fall, but resigned in October; at the same time sold his 
business at Elizabethtown, and purchased a one-third interest in the firm of 
Clark, Wagner & Co., at Meadow Valley - Shannon assuming control of the 
business. Injudicious speculation caused the firm to collapse in 1861, with 
liabilities amounting to $50,000. Shannon was elected to the assembly in 1858 
over Dr. Walker, and re-elected in 1859 as a Douglas democrat, over Parsons, the 
Breckenridge candidate. He was again run for the assembly in 1861, appearing on 
the political turf as the unconditional-union candidate, and was elected, 
defeating William Wagner and William Jacks. Shannon became an intense war man 
from this period, and declared in favor of the emancipation as the best means to 
preserve the union. In 1862 Shannon was pitted against Richard Irwin for the 
state senate, and beat him by 261 votes. He now gave up his residence in Plumas, 
and in the canvass of 1863 was elected to congress from the third district. 
He has since served as surveyor of the port of San Francisco, a member of the
assembly from that city, speaker of the assembly, and collector of the port of 
San Francisco. He was married in August, 1856, to Miss Avis Folger, at Meadow 
valley.