Casper Shafer[1] (c. 1712— 17 December 1784) was among the first settlers of the village of Stillwater along the Paulins Kill in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. A successful miller and early tavern owner, Shafer later served in the first sessions of the New Jersey Legislature during the American Revolution. During these sessions, New Jersey had become a newly independent state, established the first state constitution, ordered the state's last Royal Governor deposed and arrested, and actively supported and financed the Continental Army.
- ^ During the 18th century, the surname Shafer is also spelled Shever, Scheffer, Schaeffer, Schafer, Shaver, and other permutations in various original documents. Although, among his descendants and within the historical record, Shafer is the more common spelling. See Armstrong, William C. and Armstrong Michael. Pioneer Families of Northwestern New Jersey. (Baltimore, Maryland: Clearfield Publishing, 1996 edition), 217. Note that with a German name, the German pronunciation of v is equivalent to an English f, which allows the two letters to be interchangeable.