My Genealogy Hound

S. R. SHAW. Farming and stock-raising claim the attention of many enterprising and successful business men of Woodson County, among which number is accounted S. R. Shaw, of Everett township. He was born in Fulton County, Illinois, January 1, 1857, and is a son of Charles and Mary (Kelso) Shaw the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Indiana. About the year 1831 the father went to Illinois, settling in the midst of the green forest where he developed a farm upon which he made his home until 1868 –the date of his removal to Schuyler County, Missouri, where his remaining days were passed, his death occurring January 20, 1890, when he had attained the age of seventy-nine years, eleven months and twenty-four days. He would have reached the eightieth anniversary of his birth had he lived seven days longer. His widow still survives him and makes her home in Schuyler County at the age of sixty-seven years.

S. R. Shaw is the eldest of their six children. He received a good common-school education, qualifying him for the duties of practical business life, and was reared upon a farm, remaining with his parents until twenty-one years of age. In the fall of 1878 he came to Kansas making the journey by wagon and team to Coffey County, where he rented a tract of land and began farming on his own account. As a companion and helpmate on the journey of life he chose Miss Eleanor Redfern, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Austin N. and Mary Jane (Leach) Redfern, both of whom were natives of Ohio. They came to Kansas from Schuyler County, Missouri, in the spring of 1878, settling in Coffey County where Mr. Redfern died in June, 1896, at the age of seventy-nine years, his wife being called to her final rest in March, 1897, at the age of seventy-four. They were the parents of nine children, six of whom are yet living, Mrs. Shaw being the youngest. The marriage of our subject and his wife was celebrated on the 14th of November, 1878, and their union has been blessed with five sons and a daughter: Wesley O., Roland M., G. Hurst, Lawrence A., Glenn and Alice B.. the last named being a little maiden of six summers.

Mr. Shaw continued to engage in the operation of rented land until 1884 when with the money he had been able to save from his earnings he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in the western portion of Everett township, Woodson County. In 1895 however, he sold that property and again rented land for three years. In the meantime he was extensively engaged in raising and handling cattle and hogs. In 1897 he purchased two hundred acres of land where he now resides, his home being pleasantly and conveniently situated less than a mile west of Vernon. Here he has a good residence and has erected a large barn and is engaged in general farming and stock-dealing, raising, buying and feeding and shipping hogs and cattle. He feeds about one hundred head of hogs and about the same number of cattle each year and thus furnishes a good market for the farmers of the community for their grain and stock. He has been wonderfully successful since he came to Kansas for all he now has is the acquirement of his labor in this state, and is the well merited reward of his diligence and perseverance.

Mr. Shaw votes with the Democracy, but has never been an active politician and especially has never sought office, but without solicitation on his part his fellow townsmen elected him to the position of trustee of Everett township in which he is now serving his second term, his reliability and fidelity winning him re-election.