He was reared in Dauphin County, PA, and was early given the opportunity of acquiring valuable business experience, when a young man helping his father in contracting. Later he went with his cousin, a Mr. Gilbert, being employed in his store, after which he engaged in the wholesale notion trade, making several trips through Clearfield County and also to Franklin. He followed this line for about five years, and was next engaged in the lumber business, having purchased a tract of timber in Clearfield County, near Punxsutawney, PA. After about four years devoted to this work he went to Mercer County, where he was estab­lished at Greenville for a time. In 1862 he came to Franklin, PA, but at that time made only a short stay, during which he was engaged in hotel-keeping. His next venture was in the coal business, hauling coal up Oil creek, and he kept several teams busy. Thereafter he gave a large part of his time and attention to the oil business, and drilled many profitable wells; he was one of the first to open up the Franklin Heavy oil. Be­sides his interests in this line he had several farms, one of which comprised 650 acres of valuable land in Sugarcreek Township, Venango County, where he conducted a dairy in addition to general farming. He was a director of the Franklin Trust Company, one of the leading banking institutions in that sec­tion, and occupied a substantial posi­tion among the most prosperous business men of Franklin. He took a public-spirited interest in local affairs, and at one time was a member of the city council. Mr. Sheasley was a well known Mason, affiliating with all the Masonic bodies at Franklin and with the con­sistory at Pittsburgh. [CAB, 536]

from Washington, PA