John Shane (May 26, 1822 – September 18, 1899) was an American politician, judge, and military officer.

Early life and education

John Shane was born on May 26, 1822, in

Jefferson County, Ohio Jefferson County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 65,249. Its county seat is Steubenville, Ohio, Steubenville. The county is List of Ohi ...

. He graduated from

Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. The college traces its origin to three Presbyterian m ...

in Pennsylvania and studied law under

Edwin M. Stanton Edwin McMasters Stanton (December 19, 1814December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer and politician who served as U.S. secretary of war under the Lincoln Administration during most of the American Civil War. Stanton's management helped organize ...

Career

In 1856, Shane settled in

Vinton, Iowa Vinton is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,938 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 5,102 in 2000. It is also part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. Vinton is the county seat of Benton County. ...

, where he established the law firm Alexander, Shane & McCartney. With the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Shane enlisted in Company G of the 13th Iowa Infantry Regiment. He participated in significant battles, including the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...

and the Atlanta campaign. Shane began his military career as a captain and was promoted to colonel, succeeding Marcellus M. Crocker when Crocker was promoted to brigadier general. After the war, Shane returned to Vinton to resume his law practice. He was elected to the

Iowa Senate The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the Iowa, state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, . Each Senat ...

as a Republican from District 33 in 1871. He was re-elected in 1875 and redistricted to

District 28 A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

before the 1877 election. However, he chose to accept an 1876 gubernatorial nomination to serve as a judge for the Eighth Judicial District of Iowa, succeeding James H. Rothrock, who had been elevated to the

Iowa Supreme Court The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. The Court is composed of a chief justice and six associate justices. The Court holds its regular sessions in Des Moines in the Iowa Judicial Branch Building located at 1111 ...

. Shane was elected to a full term as a judge in 1878. He resigned from the position in 1882 due to paralysis.

Death

John Shane died on September 18, 1899, in Vinton, Iowa.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shane, John 1899 deaths 1822 births Washington & Jefferson College alumni 19th-century Iowa state court judges People from Jefferson County, Ohio Iowa state court judges Republican Party Iowa state senators 19th-century American lawyers People of Iowa in the American Civil War People from Vinton, Iowa Union army colonels 19th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly