Harper Donelson Sheppard was born in Pitt County, North Carolina, on October 9, 1868, the 13th of 15 children.

Myers, and together they established the Hanover Shoe on December 26, 1899, with a common vision: sell the best shoes possible for one price, $2.50 a pair, and eliminate the middle-man by selling directly to the public.

[1] The two men were also responsible for financing or operating such ventures as the Hanover General Hospital, the Evening Sun, the public waterworks and two impounding dams, the local athletic field and the Hanover Shoe Farms, today the largest standardbred nursery in the world.

The company moved all operations to West Virginia in 1996 because of cheaper taxes.

The power plant is now a museum for the Hanover Fire Department.