Shaw, Robert; 1905 Bio, Pitkin County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/pitkin/bios/shawr.txt --------------------------------------- Donated May 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Robert Shaw Robert Shaw, one of the leading business men of Pitkin county, this state, carrying on a general trade in hay, grain and feed, and conducting a prosperous coal business at Aspen, is a native of Ireland, born on June 15, 1855, and is the son of William and Bessie (Long) Shaw, also native there. The father came to the United States and located in the Sacramento valley of California during the great gold excitement in that state, and devoted two years to mining, at which he was very successful. He then moved to Canada and remained four years, at the end [of] …which he crossed to England, and two years later returned to his former home in Ireland. Three children were born in the family, William J., Catherine and Robert. The parents were members of the Episcopal church. Their son Robert was educated at the common schools, and when he was eighteen years old began life for himself working on farms. In 1873 he came to the United States and settled in Middlesex county, Massachusetts, where for five years he worked on farms for wages. In 1878 he moved to Iowa, and locating in Page county, continued his farming operations. The next year he came to Leadville, Colorado, and went to prospecting, devoting one year to this work with but indifferent success. He then moved to the portion of what was then Gunnison county that is now Pitkin, stopping at Crested Butte where there was great excitement over new discoveries of gold. Soon afterward he moved on to Silverton and continued mining independently for a year, then changed his residence to Durango, where he engaged in blacksmithing for a short time in partnership with Dennis Hughes, a sketch of whom will be found on another page of this work. Retiring from this engagement, he purchased some teams and went to Arizona where he contracted to haul matte to the railroads from the smelter and coke to the smelter from the railroads, continuing his industry in these lines until the smelter closed in 1883. He then went to Flagstaff, in that territory, and for a short time wrought in the lumber regions. Returning to Colorado in 1885, he located in the neighborhood of Aspen and began freighting between that town and Granite, an enterprise fraught with difficulty and danger. The country was wild and uninhabited. Indians and road agents were not wanting to add to the hazards, and wild beasts still stubbornly contested the right of man to invade their domains. But he continued his operations until the advent of the railroads through this section rendered them unprofitable. At that time he settled permanently at Aspen and started the business in which he is now engaged, and at which he has been very successful, building up one of the most extensive trades in his special commodities in this portion of the state. He also represents the Continental Oil Company and does a considerable business for that corporation. In political matters he is independent, and in fraternal life is a prominent member of the Woodmen of the World. In November, 1888, he was married to Miss Dora Kline, a native of Indiana and the daughter of Daniel and Mary Kline, who located in Colorado in the early days and have been continuously and successfully engaged in ranching. Mr. and Mrs. Shaw have one child, William D. R. Mr. Shaw has been successful in all his undertakings, and enjoys an enviable reputation as a wise, upright and useful citizen. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.