WI BIO - Winnebago Co - SHIELLS [SHIALS?], Robert

History of Northern Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1881, v II, p 1178

Robert SHIELLS, cashier of the First National Bank of Neenah [Winnebago 
County, Wisconsin], was born 21 November 1825 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He 
came to America in 1849, and first located at Milwaukee [Milwaukee County, 
Wisconsin]. He connected with the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien Railroad 
[Madison & Prairie du Chien Railroad?], as Civil Engineer, until the road was 
completed, being with that company several years. [The Milwaukee & 
Mississippi Railroad merged with the Madison & Prairie du Chien Railroad on 
25 June 1853. The railroad came to Prairie du Chien in April 1857.] 
Afterward he was engaged in government and railroad engineering for some 
time. For two years prior to his removal to Neenah, in September 1861, he 
was in the bank of Prairie du Chien [Crawford County, Wisconsin].

When he came here [Neenah] he [Robert SHIELLS] established the Bank of Neenah 
in partnership with David SMITH, a non-resident. They continued together 
until November 1865, when the National Bank of Neenah was organized, with a 
capital stock of $50,000, which was increased to $75,000 in 1874. The first 
Board of Directors was composed of Henry HEWITT Sr., President; Robert 
SHIELLS, Cashier; J. A. KIMBERLY, A. W. PATTEN and Alexander SYME. Messrs. 
PATTEN and SYME have since retired from the board, and J. R. DAVIS Sr. and H. 
BABCOCK have been elected to succeed them. The first report of the bank, 
January 1866, shows that the deposits amounted to $45,956.16; loans and 
discounts, $6,260. The last report of the condition of the institution, 01 
October 1881, indicated the immense growth of business here in the last 
fifteen years: deposits, $262,935.80; loans and discounts, $195,244.14.

In October 1852 at Montreal [now in the Province of Quebec], Canada, Mr. 
[Robert] SHIELLS was married to [Miss?] Helen SWAN. She [Helen SHIELLS] died 
in February 1860. His [Robert SHIELLS'] present wife was [Miss?] Grace 
GRAHAM, who was born near Montreal, Canada. They [Robert and Grace SHIELLS] 
were married in April 1861 at Whitewater, Walworth County, Wisconsin. Mr. 
SHIELLS has six children: Margaret, Jacobine, Helen, John, Grace, and 
Jeanny. [Submitter did not seek birth certificates to determine which wife 
was the mother of each.] Mr. SHIELLS was Postmaster from 1873 [the year 
Neenah was incorporated] to 1877. He served as President of the village 
[Neenah] prior to city organization.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly