​Looking Back: Shippy Road

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society


Unless you live south of Grain Valley and travel on Ryan Road or Moreland School Road, you may never have heard of Shippy Road.  It is less than .2 mile long; only about 1,000 feet from north to south. If you travel on Moreland School Road, you may have noticed Purdee Cemetery on the northeast corner where Shippy Road turns off to the north toward Ryan Road.

Although I do not know when Seth and Rozella Shippy lived there, I do remember Mr. Shippy in his later years when he lived in a small, probably no more than 4-room, house on the east side of Gregg Street, next to the tennis court.  Yes, Grain Valley had one tennis court back in the 1950s. It was on the corner of Walnut and Gregg behind the Christian Church. I believe the Church may have owned the land.

I also remember the day the house burned. I was visiting Aunt Opal when my cousin, Donald Fristoe, raced from his parent's house on the opposite corner and brought Mr. Shippy out of his home. The volunteer fire department, without a city water supply, was unable to save his burning home. But that’s a story for another time. Mr. Shippy was well into his 80's and I don’t recall where he moved after the fire.

Seth V. Shippy was born to Lewis and Matilda Shippy in Luzerne, Pennsylvania in 1869. Seth, his parents, and his ten brothers and sisters lived in Stephenson, Illinois during most of his youth.  At some time during the 1890s at least some of the family moved to Sni-A-Bar Township where Seth met and married Rozella Arnold (1880-1945) on November 22, 1898. 

I found Seth Shippy family on every U. S. Census between 1900 and 1950, but only two mentioned their place of residence: in 1930, Moreland was recorded and in 1950, Gregg Street.  The first five censuses gave Seth’s occupation as “farmer” and the 1950 census list “retired” in that space.

I found no record of Lewis and Matilda Shippy living in Grain Valley or Sni-A-Bar Township; however, they are buried at Koger Cemetery alongside Seth and Zella. Apparently only one sister, Ida Viola (Russell), stayed in Grain Valley. The remaining 8 spread out from Holden and Kansas City to as far away as Iowa and Washington State.

As for Seth and Zella, their six children remained in the area. If you are a long-time resident, you might remember Bill (1907-1991) and Clara Bell (Harris), Pete (1911-1990) and Cecil (Cary) (1909-2008); Arnold (1915-1997) and Ardie Bell(Phillips) (1915-1991), and Ralph (1918-1989 and Nellie (Martin) (1922-2022). Their daughters were Mabel (1902-1920) and Elsie (1903-1981).

Next week, I will travel a bit further down Moreland School Road.
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