ISAIAH SHAW
Premium Cheese Maker
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: McDUFFY,
Among the old pioneers of Santa Clara County may be found the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He is a native of New Jersey, born in 1813, but was reared in New York. For a number of years he was engaged in the mercantile business in Chicago, in which place he was united in marriage to Miss Jane McDuffy, a native of Vermont. They came to California in 1852, Mr. Shaw coming by water and Mrs. Shaw crossing the plains. Such a trip in the early pioneer days was a long and tedious journey, and often attended with many trials and hardships; but by her skill and management Mrs. Shaw rendered the trip a pleasant one. In 1853 they settled in Santa Clara Valley, where Mr. Shaw purchased 350 acres of land. He has since sold off all except 183 acres, which he has in apricots, prunes, and peaches, having over 15,000 trees in all. He took the first premium given in the county on exhibit of cheese.
Mr. and Mrs.
Shaw have a family of seven children four boys and three girls. Two of the
daughters are married, and the youngest, Miss Nettie, Principal of the Eagle
District School, is at home. The four sons, Celia, John M., Lincoln, and Joseph,
are all interested on the islands, and spend most of their time at Honolulu. The
family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Shaw is politically a
Republican.
Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.
Pg. 598
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT