416 Park Avenue
John & Margaret Shields House

Tax Photo - circa 1930s

Recent Photo

“Officer John Shields has begun the erection of a commodious two-story dwelling house facing Park Avenue, next to the L.D.S. church” reported the Park Record newspaper in March 23, 1901.

Amazingly, the home remained in the Shields family until 1956.

John and Margaret Ann Berry Shields came to Park City in 1883 and remained for the rest of their lives. John was born in Ireland in 1843 and came to the US in 1868 after spending time in Australia. He headed for the California gold fields and tried his luck mining in Utah and California before homesteading in Kansas in 1876. There he met Margaret and in 1883 the couple moved to Park City, John finding employment at his brother Charlie’s Shields Bro. Mercantile on Main Street.
Neighbor Thomas Stringer, at 569 Park Avenue, and John achieved US citizenship together in  April 1886. John pursued his American dream and the next month was elected Mayor. His campaign platform was a direct charge on the sitting mayor’s handling of the newly constructed city hall. “Public buildings erected by taxation should give employment to the unemployed tax payers and home talent. Ed Kimball as mayor during the past year used his influence to have the City Hall built by Salt Lake contractors to the exclusion of Park City workingmen. A vote for him is a vote to take the bread out of the mouths of Park City workingmen. Vote for John Shields, the workingmen’s candidate for mayor.” 

John served three years as mayor, two as police officer and three years as county commissioner. His suicide in 1913 shocked the community. Margaret continued living in the home and remained active in the community until her death in 1939.