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from Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa by Manoah Hedge The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1906
Orville R. Shaw, who is conducting a gen- eral store in Taintor, was born in Butler county, Iowa, January 7, 1861, and is a son of Robert W. and Olive D. (Morrison) Shaw. The father was born in New York, and in 1846 removed with his family to Butler county, Iowa, where he followed the occupation of farming. In 1869 he went to Minnesota, and subsequently to Wisconsin. Later he became a resident of Illinois, and his last days were spent in Kansas, his death occurring near Topeka, that state, about twenty years ago. His wife died in But- ler county, Iowa, when their son Orville was only two years of age. The little boy was then taken to his grand- parents' home. At the age of sixteen years he went to work on a farm for Gardner Lunt at ten dollars per month and afterward supported his grandparents. The grandfather died a year later, but he continued to care for his grand- mother until she, too, passed away. His edu- cation was acquired in the district schools and in the village school of Linnville, Iowa, and a liberal education, largely acquired through his own efforts, enabled him to secure a teacher's certificate, and he engaged in teaching for nine winter terms, while in the summer months he was employed in a store in Peoria, Iowa. He also engaged in driving a grocery wagon through the country for four years in the em- ploy of a grocery merchant at Peoria, and thus he eagerly availed himself of every opportu- nity for gaining a start in business life. On the 18th of November, 1885, Mr. Shaw was married to Miss Cynthia H. Lindsley, who was born in Marion county, Iowa, July 24, 1859, and is a daughter of Theodore and Ma- tilda (Knowles) Lindsley. The father is now deceased, but the mother makes her home with her son in Peoria, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Shaw have one son, Cyril J., born April 11, 1888. It was seventeen years ago that Mr. Shaw became a merchant of Taintor, opening a stock of groceries, dry goods, clothing and hardware under the firm name of Shaw & Rhine. After eighteen months he purchased his partner's in- terest. For six and a half years he had no partner, then eight years was a partner of Grant Garner, but since March, 1905; has conducted the business alone, having again purchased his partner's interest. He is now proprietor of a well equipped general store, carrying a large line of groceries, dry goods, clothing and hard- ware. He enjoys a good trade, which is con- stantly increasing. Only a few weeks ago, how- ever, he had his store entered by burglars, the safe was blown open and forty-five dollars in cash was taken. This was the third burglarly of the place in three years. Nothwithstanding such obstacles and disadvantages, however, he has persevered in his work and is now conduct- ing a prosperous business. He owns both his store building and his residence. In his political views Mr. Shaw is a repub- lican, and since the 11th of May, 1895, has been postmaster of Taintor. Both he and his wife are valued and esteemed members of the Christian church. He started out in life a poor boy and was in debt thirty dollars when twenty- one years of age. He supported his grandpar- ents, but by earnest labor and close attention to business he has made a success as the years have gone by and is now carefully directing his busi- ness interests with the result that he is winning a gratifying measure of prosperity in the con- duct of his store in Taintor.
Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy