Cumberland County, Maine - Lorenzo L. Shaw
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Biography
Lorenzo L. Shaw
Biographical Review
Cumberland County, Maine
Boston
Biographical Review Publishing Company
1896
Page 525-526


Lorenzo L. Shaw, promoter and sole proprietor of one of Yarmouth's leading
industries and an ex-member of the Maine legislature, was born in Holderness,
N.H., November 8, 1828, son of Asa and Diedama (York) Shaw. Mr. Shaw's paternal
grandfather was an early settler in Holderness; and Asa Shaw was a native of
that town and resided there for some time, but later moved to the town of
Campton, where the major part of his active life was passed.

An able and useful citizen, as well as an industrious and successful farmer, Asa
Shaw became a representative man of his locality. He was liberal in his
religious views, and in politics he was a Jackson Democrat. He died in 1863. His
wife, Diedama York, who was born in Holderness, became the mother Of nine
children, six of whom are living, namely Daniel A.; Lorenzo L., the subject of
this sketch; Charlotte, who became Mrs. Leavitt; Elias H.; William H.; and
Aurelia A., who became Mrs. Watson. The other three children, now, departed,
were : Alanson ; Simeon W. and Harriet J., who became Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Asa Shaw
lived to reach the age of eighty-seven years and twenty days.

Lorenzo L. Shaw was educated in the common schools of his native town; and at
the age of sixteen he went to Lowell, Mass., where he secured a position as
bobbin-boy in the Massachusetts Company's cotton-mill. He remained in their
employ for ten years, during which time he rose to the position of overseer; and
while there he became familiar with the business which he has since followed
with such gratifying results. After leaving the employ of the Massachusetts
Company in Lowell, he went to Lewiston, Me:, as overseer and superintendent of
the Bates Manufacturing Company; and from there he went to Hallowell, Me:, where
he took charge of a manufacturing business which had been greatly run down, and
succeeded in placing it in a flourishing condition. In 1871 he came to Yarmouth,
where he, in company with Barnabas Freeman, engaged in business, taking hold of
a small mill, which they .soon placed upon a paying basis. Under able management
business increased rapidly; and the products, which include cotton yarns,
twines, seamless bags, and a variety of warp yarns, soon found a ready market.
In 1889 Mr. Freeman retired from the firm, leaving Mr. Shaw sole proprietor; and
he has since continued the enterprise alone. The factory is located upon the
best water-power in town, and is well equipped with improved machinery. About
fifty hands are employed, the mill running steadily the year round with the
exception of a short interval in which to make repairs; and the production
amounts to an average of four hundred thousand pounds annually.

In August, 1848, Mr. Shaw was united in marriage with Susan M. Burnham, of
Deerfield, N.H. She died in September, 1880, aged fifty-two years. Mr. Shaw has
one daughter living; namely, Nellie F., who married Charles B. Corliss, and
resides in Dorchester, Mass.

In politics Mr. Shaw is a Republican, and his business ability has been of
valuable service to that party. He was elected a Representative to the
legislature for, the sessions of 1883 and 1885, and while a member of that body
he displayed an earnest desire for the furtherance of good government and the
maintenance of a progressive administration of public affairs. He was prominent
in securing the electric light system for Yarmouth, being at the present time
President of the company; and he is also serving upon the Committee of Public
Improvement. He is an able, enterprising, and successful business man; and the
industry which he has been the prime mover in developing is a great benefit to
the town. fie is a Unitarian in his religious views, and is prominent in the
Masonic Orders, in which he has advanced to the thirty-second degree. He is also
connected with the Knights of Pythias of Yarmouth. He occupies a pleasant
residence on Main Street, which is located but a short distance from the water
front, overlooking Casco Bay.

The foregoing sketch, which is accompanied by a very good likeness of Mr. Shaw,
shows the happy results of choosing one's line of work early and concentrating
one's efforts in continually pushing forward on that line. "Men," it has been
said, "may be divided into two classes - those who have a 'one thing' and those
who have no one thing to do, those with aim and those without aim in their
lives; and practically it turns out that almost all of the success, and
therefore the greater part of the happiness, goes to the first class."