Meet the Shaw family
This map shows the layout of N.D. Shaw's Addition to Anoka and Ramsey. The area covered is west of Green Street and north of the Mississippi river. It extends, in part, as far north as Territorial Road (Main Street) The earliest date is 1856, presumably the date of the creation of the map. The latest is 1877. (Object ID 0000.0000.316)
Initial developments
Dr. Samuel Wheeler Shaw (1823-1909), his father Neal (Neil), and brothers Edward and Judson purchased 160 acres of land on the west side of the Rum River from Orin Rice. Rice had built a log house near the corner of Ferry and Fremont Street. They surveyed and platted it, naming the area “Shaw’s Addition to the Original Town of Anoka.”
From a document called History of the Shaw Family Who Were Very Active and Influential First Settlers of Anoka, we learn that until 1853 people living in this area gave their address as “Rum River.”
Dr. Shaw and his wife, Lois Stevens, had two more children in this home, for a total of five, before selling it in 1860 and moving to Chicago two years later. One of their daughters, Annie, was a notable painter, while another, Emma, became known for her vocal and composing skills. Their siblings are Nina and Warwick.
Read the family obituaries on Find A Grave.
Learn more about the Goodrich Pharmacy where John Marshall Shaw worked by visiting our online collection database.
Plat of Block 9 and 10 between LaFayette Ave and Mississippi Ave., Neal Shaw Addition. Date: March 27, 1854. Anoka, Ramsey County Territory of Minnesota. (Object ID 1922.A3)