William Henry Shaw Biography


	This biography appears on pages 110-111 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				WILLIAM HENRY SHAW.  

	William Henry Shaw, living at Hazel, who recently completed a 
term of twelve years, service on the board of county commissioners of 
Hamlin county, is a citizen in whom his fellow townsmen feel that they 
can safely place the interests of town and county. He was first elected 
to the position in the fall of 1902 and the record which he has made in 
office is an irreproachable one. He was born in the province of 
Ontario, Canada, July 2, 1860, a son of William and Agnes (Cameron) 
Shaw, the former a native of England and the latter of Scotland. During 
their childhood they accompanied their respective parents to Canada, 
where in early life the father learned the carpenter's trade, which he 
followed for many years. Crossing the border into the United States, he 
lived for some years in Watertown, New York, and thence came westward 
to South Dakota in the early '90s. He remained, however, for only three 
years and spent his last days in eastern Canada, where he passed away 
about 1903. He had long survived his wife, who died in Watertown, New 
York, in 1866, when in comparatively early womanhood.  

	W. H. Shaw was only about six years of age at the time of the 
death of his mother and from that period forward he scarcely knew what 
a home was until he was able to make one for himself. He lived for a 
time with relatives but when quite young started out to earn his own 
living among strangers. His educational opportunities were necessarily 
limited but in the school of experience he has learned many valuable 
lessons. In early life he gave his time to farm work and in 1882 he 
came to South Dakota, where he might find it possible to become the 
owner of a farm. He homesteaded a quarter section of land in Hamlin 
county five and a half miles south of the present townsite of Hazel, 
and subsequently acquired two other quarter sections adjoining his home 
place, so that his holdings comprise four hundred and eighty acres in 
one farm. He resided thereon for many years, carefully, persistently 
and successfully carrying on agricultural pursuits until he had 
acquired a handsome competence sufficient to supply him with all of the 
comforts and some of the luxuries of life. Therefore in the fall of 
1910 he removed into the town of Hazel, where he has since made his 
home and, as far as business affairs go, is enjoying a well earned and 
well merited rest.  
	Mr. Shaw, however, still remains active in the affairs of the 
county and is a recognized leader in republican ranks, having always 
supported the party since age conferred upon him the right of 
franchise. For twelve consecutive years he served as a member of the 
board of county commissioners, having first been elected to that office 
in the fall of 1902 and being chairman when retiring from the position 
in 1914. No higher evidence of his capability and fidelity could be 
given than the feet that he was so many times reelected to the 
position.  

	In 1892 Mr. Shaw was united in marriage to Miss Lulu Dealing, of 
New York, by whom he has two children: Eva Grace, aged twenty-one 
years; and Robert Clayton, aged seventeen years. Mr. Shaw belongs to 
Hazel Lodge, K. P., and to the Modern Woodmen camp. Coming to this 
section of the state when it was a pioneer district, he has lived to 
witness many changes and his memory forms a connecting link between the 
primitive past and the progressive present. His work has been 
beneficial to the county as well as to himself in advancing the 
agricultural conditions of the state, and his service as chairman of 
the board of county commissioners is one which has been-of the greatest 
value to the district