One Township's Yesterdays Chapter XXVIII
SHAW
Next, a glimpse of the SHAW family ancestry reveals to us the figures of HENRY SHAW and his wife, MARGARET (WILLIAMS) SHAW, both
natives of Pennsylvania, who were the parents of WILLIAM SHAW, the Union Township pioneer.
Henry SHAW was a carpenter by trade, and a pioneer of Richland County, Ohio, having settled in Mansfield as early as the year 1812.
During the War of 1812, he experienced all the vicissitudes and dangers incident to a life on the frontier in such troubled times.
He subsequently became a resident of Hancock County, Ohio, when that part of the State was a wilderness. After residing there and
elsewhere for a number of years, he came to Indiana in 1842, settling in Wabash County, where he cleared a farm and followed the
pursuit of agriculture. Ten years later he moved to Starke County, where he died about 1872. "Mr. SHAW was a man of great physical
strength and endurance," says A. C. THOMPSON, "and a representative pioneer of the period in which he lived. His wife, whom he
married in Richland County, Ohio, died in 1870." They had a family of ten children. Five of them were living in 1890, when THOMPSON
wrote of the family. Those five were:
Stephen
William
Joseph
Mrs. ELIZABETH RIST
HENRY B.
WILLIAM SHAW, who became one of the. substantial farmers and representative citizens of Marshall County, was born in Richland County,
Ohio, December 1, 1822. grew to manhood in that State, obtained his educational training in such schools as the country offered at
that time, and began life for himself as a teacher, in which calling he continued for a number of years successfully.
In 1842, he came to Wabash County, Indiana, with his parents, HENRY and MARGARET SHAW, and in 1848 was married, in Noble County,
to MARY GILCHRIST, daughter of JOHN GILCHRIST, a pioneer of Richland County, Ohio, who in an early day moved to Kosciusko County,
Indiana. Mrs. SHAW died in that county in September. 1852, after which Mr. SHAW again resumed the profession of teaching. This he
continued for some time in Marshall County, at the place then known as Burr Oak Flats. He subsequently engaged in farming, and in
1863 moved to his place north of Lake Maxinkuckee in Union Township, where he developed a splendid farm.
Mr. SHAW's second marriage was solemnized August 14, 1854, with NANCY THOMPSON, daughter of JOB and SARAH THOMPSON, of this county
and vicinity. The THOMPSONs were a pioneer family of the township, settling here, as early as 1837. They moved here from Kentucky.
Nancy came to this township when but seven years of age.
A certain area surrounding the SHAW homestead above Lake Maxinkuckee came in time to be known as the "SHAW neighborhood" and the
district school there as the "SHAW schoolhouse." In the 'seventies, the property of WILLIAM SHAW in that vicinity consisted of two
plots of land, one of eighty acres and another of forty acres adjoining, both in Section 10 about three-quarters of a mile above the
northern tip of Lake Maxinkuckee. Mr. SHAW lived on the middle forty.
That was originally some of the Thompson land, which in earlier days extended over the area covered by the 120 acres of SHAW land.
At the later period, prior to 1880, the estate of Peter SHAW, a brother of William, had 160 acres in Section 5, northwest of the lake
on the Burr Oak Flats. This is now, in 1934, the PETER DOLL farm.
Turning to a much earlier period in the SHAW family history, we find among the ancestor. directly back, two British soldiers. The
story is told that the great grandfather of Mrs. CHARITY STAHL, a descendant living today in Culver, was a British regular in the
Colonial War. He was a SHAW. His brother also was a soldier. but during the war or at its beginning they became separated and never
met or heard from each other again. The other brother was completely lost track of; whatever became of hint eventually is a mystery.
He may have died in the war, or he may have survived and drifted off to no one knows where. He was one of those individuals separated
from a family as is quite often found in tracing lineages. They are the twigs torn from the family tree by some trick of fate or act
of Providence.
WILLIAM SHAW, a Democrat, was a potent factor in local politics. He represented Marshall County in the legislature of 1883. He also
filled various official positions in Union Township from time to time. He died March 19, 1895, at the age of seventy-two. His wife,
Nancy, was born June 26, 1830, and died February 14, 1900, at the age of sixty-nine.
The children of WILLIAM AND NANCY SHAW were five in number
Mrs. CHARITY STAHL of Culver, is living today
Stephen A., deceased,
was married to Elizabeth GIBBONS who is still living in 1934 in the northeastern section of the town of Culver.
James C., who was a Burr Oak merchant,
died some years ago. His wife was ELIZABETH BUTLER She is still living at Santa Ann.
Alexander B., who has since passed away, went to Colorado to live
Della died early
She married L. C. WISEMAN who is today a resident of Culver. Her death occurred in 1889. One child, survived her
Clyde He was the only child, and is living now in Kansas City.
Turning back to the preceding generation, we find that ten children were born to HENRY and MARGARET (WILLIAMS) SHAW. All ten had
passed away by 1934.
Stephen, the first child, lived to be ninety
Mary, who died quite young
Sally
John
William
Nancy
Peter, who died in war times, in the 'sixties
Joseph
Elizabeth
Henry B
The record of the children of these children runs as follows:
In 1934, the children of STEPHEN SHAW are five living and four deceased. James had four boys and one girl, all of whom are living.
Della had one boy. Alexander had six children, five of whom are living and one dead. Peter had one child, a girl. who was raised by
THOMAS HOUGHTON. In late years she has been living in or near New Orleans.