Ephraim Shay
Ephraim Shay was an American merchant, entrepreneur and selftaught railroad engineer who worked in the state of Michigan. He designed the first Shay locomotive and patented the type. He licensed it for manufacture through what became known as Lima Locomotive Works in Ohio from 1882 to 1892 some 300 locomotives of this type were sold.
Ephraim Shay was born on July 17, 1839, in Sherman Township, Huron County, Ohio. His parents were James and Phoebe Shay, whose families went back to colonial New York. His parents were of majorityEnglish descent, with some Dutch and Polish ancestry. His mothers paternal line descended from immigrant George Probatski, who was from Breslau, Silesia . In 1654 Probatski went to the Netherlands and immigrated with some Dutch via Amsterdam and Brazil to New Netherland . Over time, through Dutch and English marriages and variations, the name in the United States evolved to Probasco, probably within the first few generations.
Source: Wikipedia