Excerpt of the book "Writer and Engraver's Picture of Graham County's Progress Since Its Organization" (1906)

Jerome Shoup

(pages 46-47)

In all the towns of Graham county nearly all the business men are farmers. If they do not own farms out in the country, as many of them do, they are town farmers. Not the kind that loaf about town and let the women and the children do the farming, but they live on farms adjoining the town. Some of these are the most successful and scientific farmers we have, and among this class is our well known citizen Jerome Shoup.

Mr. Shoup is a native of Illinois and was married there. He came to Graham county in 1879 and homestead in Pioneer township. In addition to his homestead he took a timber claim of 80 acres.

For ten years he resided on this farm and was one of Graham county’s most prosperous and successful stock raisers and farmers. In 1891 he was chosen as sheriff and bought a half section of land joining Hill City, where he built a home and moved his family.

Mr. Shoup served two terms as sheriff and was a creditable and satisfactory officer. He was a very pleasant gentleman generous in conceding to all men the right to think and speak for themselves. He is a staunch reformer and for a number of years was conspicuous before the people of Graham county as a politician. In 1899 Mr. Shoup represented his county in the State Legislature. He was conscientious and pains-taking in looking after the interest of his agricultural friends and honest and fearlessly represented his constituency.

Mr. Shoup owns 16 quarter sections of Graham county land with five hundred acres under cultivation. But he still resides on his quarter section adjoining Hill City which is exceptionally good land, fifty acres of this quarter section is in alfalfa and the first cutting this year yielded two tons to the acres.

Mr. Shoup values his alfalfa lands at $60 an acre.

His place gives evidence of comfort and thrift with a grove of trees surrounding his neat 7 roomed home and his new well built out buildings.

Mr. Shoup owns 150 head of high grade white face cattle and 15 head of horses. Though he was at one time a heavy property owner in Hill City he has disposed of it with the exception of one stone store building on Main street.

Mr. Shoup has always been an active member of the Christian church. He built the Hotel De Shoup in Hill City but sold it to D.J. Hanna.