The History of Hendricks County (Chicago: Interstate Publishing, 1885)--Liberty Township, page 651
William Shepherd, a successful farmer of Liberty Township, was born in Fleming County, Ky., Feb. 28, 1828, the fifth of ten children of Solomon and Margaret (Tout) Shepherd, natives of the same county, of English parentage. In the fall of 1833 his parents moved to Hendricks County, and settled a mile south of Danville, but a year later bought eighty acres of wild land of Richard Thompson, three miles south of Danville. This land they cleared and cultivated and made their home the rest of their lives. The father died in August, 1851, aged sixty-three years, and the mother in 1860 aged sixty years. They were earnest Christians, members of the Methodist Episcopal church. But four of their ten children are living. William Shepherd was five years of age when his parents moved to Hendricks County, and was reared on a frontier farm, his youth being spent in assisting his father in the work of clearing and cultivating his land. The first school he attended was taught in a log cabin, and was of the most primitive sort. His education was limited, as schools were few in the county at that time and his services were required on the farm. H e remained at home till his twenty-third year, when he was married to Melissa Downs, daughter of Daniel and Mary Downs, of North Carolina, but later of Hendricks County. After his marriage he settled on the farm where he has since lived, which at that time was mostly unimproved. He has cleared his land, and now has a good farm of forty acres, with a pleasant residence and comfortable farm buildings. To Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd have been born three children, but two are living--Sarah A., wife of A.H. Terhune, and Cora A., wife of William Weesner. In politics Mr. Shepherd is a Republican. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1880, but refused to qualify. He and his wife are members of the Missionary Baptist church.