It was in 1855 that James Norman purchased and received a patent from the federal government for 58 ½ acres in at the mouth of Silver Creek in Section 7, Town 25N, Range 26E. One acre was set aside for a school that later became known as Woodside and ½ acre for a burying ground. Captain Zeb Shaw’s grave is about all that remains visible in the old cemetery.
Early
businessman Albert Wells, who also patented substantial property, built a pier out to a few hundred feet into water deep
enough to allow schooners in to load wood products. Pine, hemlock, cedar and
hardwood was brought to the pier by oxen or horse drawn sleds and loaded onto
the boats and shipped, primarily to Chicago markets.
Captain Zeb
Shaw was Silver Creek’s third resident, but his story begins long before that. Early in the 19th century, Moses Shaw I, a native of England, settled at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. His son Zebina was born on Christmas Day 1815. As other young men, he grew up seeking adventure and went to sea. The close of 1850 found him in Memphis where he soon found an Irish bride, Katherine O'Brien. Zeb always seemed to find his way around, meeting George Fellows, Sr. in Chicago and then sailing with him. The association led Shaw to Wolf River in 1855 when the young Mrs. Shaw was landed on the beach at the foot of Tweedale's Hill - today Algoma's Lake St. hill. No doubt she remembered small boats coming out to ferry people ashore. No doubt she also remembered animals being thrown off the boats so they would swim to shore. Whatever her story, it was said she relished the retelling all of her life, something she probably did while having the pipe which she so much enjoyed.
Terrence O'Brien and his 19 year old daughter Katherine left Ireland in 1851. Considering the ocean voyage would have been undertaken no earlier than March and that the O'Brien's documented trip took 8 weeks, there was not much time for Shaw to get to Memphis, meet his wife and get married and get back to Chicago to begin sailing with Charles Fellows, Sr. later in 1851. Zeb and Katherine apparently didn't feel the need for a long courtship.
Arriving in Wolf River, the Shaws kept house for David Youngs and operated Captain Fellows' Tremont House, today the Stebbins, before relocating to Silver Creek where there was a sawmill, store and Welles and Valentine's pier, a Chicago business at which Shaw was employed as superintendent. Captain Shaw's father came with him and it was believed the elder Mr. Shaw was the first teacher at Silver Creek School. Captain Shaw, owner of the Falcon, was not remembered as a great farmer but he was indeed an alert and cautious seaman, hauling wood products before relocating to the farm that remained in the family for over 100 years. Shaw was also one of the area captains who supplemented his income by cutting Christmas trees in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan and transporting them to Milwaukee and Chicago.
There were fishermen at Silver Creek before the War Between the States.Jackson Jordan was one of them. Jordan made his home with Captain Charles Ross and with Eli Dunham and Willet A. Wheeler, also of Silver Creek, enlisted in the war. Dunham was an Easterner who came to the area to visit his brother Spencer Dunham, an employee of Wells' sawmill. Wheeler was an employee of the same company, though his military career was brief and ended at the first battle of Shiloh when the trigger finger of his right hand was shot off.
News was made during the spring and summer of 1868 when the 180 ton schooner Bessie Boalt was built in Ahnapee for the richest man in town, C.G. Boalt. The impressive $32,000 vessel was launched directly into the lake from the beach.** Civil War hero, master designer and craftsman Major William Henry built both model and ship. When she sailed from the north pier on her 1st voyage, she was under command of Captain John McDonald, a full crew of Ahnapee seamen and with Zebina Shaw as 1st mate. A few years later the Bessie went down in a storm off Two Rivers while in tow of a tug which had rescued her from the treacherous sand bar off that point.
Zebina and Katherine Shaw were the parents of eleven children, three of whom survived to adulthood. Son Moses Shaw II, born November 8, 1861, spent his life on the homestead at Silver Creek. At fourteen he had gone as far as possible in the school and there after devoted his time to farming and serving on the school board. As Highway Commissioner from 1912 to 1923, he oversaw the building of the first macadam and the first concrete highways built in Kewaunee County. He was appointed State Highway Inspector for both Kewaunee and Calumet Countys and served as the Kewaunee County director of the N.R.A. or National Recovery Administration,during the alphabet soup days of the New Deal.
Eventually Moses Shaw applied for a post office at Woodside and for a time Zeb carried mail between Ahnapee and Two Rivers. Shaw's site request follows this document. Shaw, his sons, and Fellows’ son Charles had a significant historical impact on Silver Creek, the village of Foscoro - now Stony Creek - and the Town of Ahnapee in general. In the early days, the highway called County S did not exist. To avoid swampland, the road going out from Ahnapee turned east at the Shaw farm (above), at the intersection of today's Highways S and U, and followed the lake shore much of the way to Sturgeon Bay.
Terrence O'Brien and his 19 year old daughter Katherine left Ireland in 1851. Considering the ocean voyage would have been undertaken no earlier than March and that the O'Brien's documented trip took 8 weeks, there was not much time for Shaw to get to Memphis, meet his wife and get married and get back to Chicago to begin sailing with Charles Fellows, Sr. later in 1851. Zeb and Katherine apparently didn't feel the need for a long courtship.
Arriving in Wolf River, the Shaws kept house for David Youngs and operated Captain Fellows' Tremont House, today the Stebbins, before relocating to Silver Creek where there was a sawmill, store and Welles and Valentine's pier, a Chicago business at which Shaw was employed as superintendent. Captain Shaw's father came with him and it was believed the elder Mr. Shaw was the first teacher at Silver Creek School. Captain Shaw, owner of the Falcon, was not remembered as a great farmer but he was indeed an alert and cautious seaman, hauling wood products before relocating to the farm that remained in the family for over 100 years. Shaw was also one of the area captains who supplemented his income by cutting Christmas trees in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan and transporting them to Milwaukee and Chicago.
There were fishermen at Silver Creek before the War Between the States.Jackson Jordan was one of them. Jordan made his home with Captain Charles Ross and with Eli Dunham and Willet A. Wheeler, also of Silver Creek, enlisted in the war. Dunham was an Easterner who came to the area to visit his brother Spencer Dunham, an employee of Wells' sawmill. Wheeler was an employee of the same company, though his military career was brief and ended at the first battle of Shiloh when the trigger finger of his right hand was shot off.
News was made during the spring and summer of 1868 when the 180 ton schooner Bessie Boalt was built in Ahnapee for the richest man in town, C.G. Boalt. The impressive $32,000 vessel was launched directly into the lake from the beach.** Civil War hero, master designer and craftsman Major William Henry built both model and ship. When she sailed from the north pier on her 1st voyage, she was under command of Captain John McDonald, a full crew of Ahnapee seamen and with Zebina Shaw as 1st mate. A few years later the Bessie went down in a storm off Two Rivers while in tow of a tug which had rescued her from the treacherous sand bar off that point.
Eventually Moses Shaw applied for a post office at Woodside and for a time Zeb carried mail between Ahnapee and Two Rivers. Shaw's site request follows this document. Shaw, his sons, and Fellows’ son Charles had a significant historical impact on Silver Creek, the village of Foscoro - now Stony Creek - and the Town of Ahnapee in general. In the early days, the highway called County S did not exist. To avoid swampland, the road going out from Ahnapee turned east at the Shaw farm (above), at the intersection of today's Highways S and U, and followed the lake shore much of the way to Sturgeon Bay.
Today it is
difficult to believe that Mrs. Perry Austin operated a restaurant a short
distance from the mouth of Silver Creek or that the area eventually had its own post office.
Theodore Tronson used windmills to provide power to his sawmill business and
Charles Serrahn built a cheese factory, the area’s last place of business.
Today there is no sign of the pier or any of the other businesses in another of
Kewaunee County’s long-forgotten early villages.
**Henry's shipyard was a small "bay" on the north side of the river, now the area between the motel and the channel. Filled in, the same area held the coal docks. The one story section of the Shaw home above served as the Woodside post office. Pictures are in the author's collection. Mrs. Perry Austin was Charlotte Berg before her marriage.
**Henry's shipyard was a small "bay" on the north side of the river, now the area between the motel and the channel. Filled in, the same area held the coal docks. The one story section of the Shaw home above served as the Woodside post office. Pictures are in the author's collection. Mrs. Perry Austin was Charlotte Berg before her marriage.
Very interesting. I have been to the cemetery a number of times and walked that beach. Great area of sand and pines. I was there just a few weeks back and there is now a no trespassing sign to keep people from reaching the cemetery. I have found Shaw's and a number of other graves.
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled upon your blog and LOVE this entry. Zebina Shaw is my 3rd Great Grandfather and Moses is my Great Great Grandfather. Thank you so much for this story, as it really adds to the understanding of my family history. I am trying to learn more about my ancestors from the Algoma area, primarily the Schmiling, Wiesner, Shaw and Rockwell families. I would love to be in touch, if you have anything to share!
ReplyDeleteIn 1989 I purchased the 15 acres just north of the silver creek bridge and cemetary plot. I built the home that exists there now and loved there for 13 years. in about 1994, I got up to go deer hunting on my property treeline by the Lakeshore. It was early and dark. About 5:30 am. I walked south along the treeline where some refer to be the old stage coach road . I went down about -60 yards and sat down by a fallen large cedar tree root. It was cold and a bit windy off the lake. There was a dusting of snow on the ground. Like November 23. I had had a good nights sleep and was very much Awake and alert. Minutes later I looked north towards my hour area. I saw five smaller colorful aurora circles moving toward me about 70 yards away. Actually pretty bright against the darkness. As the came closer to me, I saw human figures which were very solid and clear images. Reach with a similar lik rainbow colored os an outer aurora around them . They never noticed me at all. There was a shorter rather plump man and lady walking hand in hand. With happy / proud smiles on their faces. Like they were really in love with each other! The lady had on a like Rasyer dress and long ballooning white cotton like dress of the 1800,’s design. With pretty lightly colored flowered o. It. She wore a bonnet type Easter hat. She had a bunch of wild flowers in her other hand. They were only about 30 feet from me as they walked pst me. Next to them but a few feet away an a. It behind the adults, there were 2 rather pretty young girls about 12 or 14 years old. With pretty pastel ribbons to their hair. Like new white long skirted dresses on. Pretty pastel flower g o. The dresses. Dry clean and white dresses. Like the were taking a spring daily stroll down a level road after church! The girls were giggling and laughing with each other as the walked. I saw them bending over and picking wildflowers as the walked. Their hair had a glowing shine to it. They both had a bunch of flowers in thei hands there was a young boy about 7 years old walking.right behind the girls. He would constantly run up behind the girls an either pull on their skirts or pat them on the butt to tease and deliberately annoy them. them. Like any kids do, the girls would turn to I’m and swipe their hands to get him away from them. But he kept doin it all the way they walked. He was wearing tan colored nicker pants down to his knees and tan suspenders. Also a tan like suede hat with a larger brow like an Amish kid would wear. The man was close to me as well as you walked by me. He was wearing a medium blue PTO styled nautical coat with about 6 brass colored buttons on the front double breasted with a fatter lapel type suit color . He wore a naval hat with the little brim on the front. He had longer hairy sideburns and a thicker groomed beard. I watched them all walk by me as clearly as having any other person walk by me . I saw the backs of the as they continued to walk further through the woods ( which was full of fallen trees pot holes and tree branches an brush. ). But they acted like it was 75 degrees out walking down a level road eventually the bright aurora around them became smaller and disappeared in the woods when about 70 yards away from me. Yea, I didn’t believe what I saw either! What I saw was real. Like a fifth dimension. People from the 1800’s still walking among us today! For sure! I’m an artist , and have recently thought about painting a picture representation of what I saw that morning. Yesterday I thought I wonder if there’s actually any photos of that Captain Zeb Shaw on the internet? I googled Captain Shaw from Algoma Wisconsin. And that portrait of Captain Shaw popped up! I was freaked out! The ghost I saw was exactly like that portait! So I just want his family to know your Great Great Grandfather wife and kids are still out there roaming around Silver creek as a very happy family! No question in my mind whatsoever lever!!!!!
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