Surnames: Ehle, Saltsman, Snell, Walrath.

Source: History of the Mohawk Valley - Gateway to the West - 1614-1925
Covering The Six Counties of Schenectady, Schoharie,
Montgomery, Fulton, Herkimer and Oneida.
Volume III, Illustrated (Page 686)
Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,1925

Manly Shults, the proprietor of the Red Mills of Fort Plain and one of the village's leading citizens, is a native of Montgomery County, New York. He was born October 10, 1876, in Palatine, the birthplace of his parents, Martin and Mary Snell Shults. His father was a prosperous farmer of this county for a good many years, but for a brief period before his death was retired from active life and made his home in Fort Plain. He passed away January 9, 1922, at the age of eighty-one, his birth having occurred in 1841. His wife died July 30, 1916.

Manly Shults grew to young manhood on the paternal farm, which he still owns, the old family homestead on which he was born, but rents it out to a tenant. He obtained his education in the district schools near his home. After putting aside his textbooks he helped his father run the farm until he was twenty-one years old, when he celebrated his coming of age by taking over the management of the old Cook farm, which was also owned by his father, and operated it successfully for a dozen years. In 1909 Mr. Shults came to Fort Plain where he bought the old Red Mills. Until 1914 he managed this enterprise himself, then leased the building to his brother who ran the business for ten years while Mr. Manly Shults devoted his entire attention to the buying and shipping of hay, a very profitable business. Mr. Shults resumed the active direction of the mills again in January of 1924, but is still ably assisted by his brother, Arthur G. Shults, of whom a more detailed account appears elsewhere in this volume. Well-directed effort and conscientious industry have brought to this businessman a well deserved prosperity. Not only does he rank well as a miller and hay dealer, but he is also connected with the Fort Plain National Bank as one of its directors, and is highly regarded by all his associates and contemporaries in the business world.

Mr. Shults and his brother married sisters, Florence and Nannie S. Saltsman, daughters of Harrison and Mary Walrath Saltsman, natives of Palatine and lifelong residents of Montgomery County. Mr. Saltsman was a farmer of this county for most of his life and moved to Fort Plain about two years prior to his death, which took place in December, 1922. His widow survives him and makes her home here. Mr. and Mrs. Manly Shults were united in marriage on January 27, 1896, and have one daughter, Lulu M., born April 17, 1897. She married Russell J. Ehle, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy of Annapolis, who served two years in the navy before resigning his commission in December of 1923. Mr. and Mrs. Ehle reside with Mr. Shults and his wife at their beautiful home on Wendell Avenue, Prospect Hill. Mrs. Shults is an active worker in the Daughters of the American Revolution, which has a very progressive chapter in Fort Plain. The family is affiliated with the Reformed Church and Mr. Shults is a prominent member of the Fort Plain Club, in which he has many close personal friends. His political associations are with the republican party, which he has supported ever since he was old enough to cast his ballot.