M.L. Shaw Jr. and Ernest Gunther 1918

This is the oldest image we have of the farm.

Shaw Farm as it looked in the 1920's

This is the one of the oldest images we have of the barn.

M.L. Shaw 1922

With Prince and Harry

M.L. Shaw Jr. and George Hoar

This scene from about 1924 shows ML and George on a sleigh. Years later, when the government was collecting metal for WWII, the sleigh went into a bonfire, and the metal was sold for the war effort.

ML Sr. and Annie

Mark Loran Shaw Sr, and his wife, Annie Hutchinson Shaw, in front of the barn. Mid 1920's.

ML Sr. and Annie

1928

ML Shaw Sr (b. July 16th, 1866 d. Oct 6th, 1933)

Married Annie Hutchinson of Nova Scotia Nov 27th, 1889

Annie Hutchinson (b. Nov 11th, 1866 d. July 21st, 1961)

1927

Albert Shaw 20 years old, in front of our 1927 Dodge Brothers truck. It was a one ton, with body by Graham. They called it a Graham Dodge.

1925

ML Sr. with Prince and the converted Pollards delivery wagon.

Another view

Prince pulling the delivery wagon

Lowell Sun article from the 1950's

Showing the AG Pollard delivery wagon, which became the Shaw Farm Milk Truck.

1929

ML Sr. in front of a fine crop of corn.

1933

Winthrop Shaw (12 years old) on tractor, preparing soil to plant corn.

1933

The farm purchased this used Shaw Duall tractor in 1933. This was the first tractor the farm owned. The spikes in the rear steel wheels made it difficult to maneuver on our rocky soil. And there were no brakes when pulling a load. It was used for one year.

ML Sr. circa 1933

ML and wagon with milkers and barn cooler parts to be washed and cleaned in milk plant.

1934

1934 Chevrolet delivery truck.

Drinking from the water well - 1934

Albert Shaw drinking water from the original well on the farm. It was located about 50 feet south of the shed on the end of the barn. The site of the original well was later used as a pig pen.

1935 - Milk Cooling

Raw milk from the cows was cooled on this device. The top tank had clothespins holding flannel. The milk was poured in through the flannel and it was drawn out through a spigot that could regulate the low of milk as it went into the top tray. The tray had small holes. As the milk flowed out, it spread over tubes with cold brine running through them. Milk cans caught the cooled milk, which were then brought to the milk plant for pasteurization and bottling.

1935 - Milk Bottling machine

This large rectangular receiving tank had 12 spigots with rubber grommets on the bottom. It would facilitate a case of milk under it, and when the lever was pulled down, would fill 12 bottles of milk at once.

1935

Ray Moran and Albert Shaw in front of the milk house with milking cans.

1936

Winthrop Shaw pulling a "bundle loader" with an F-12 Farm-All, which the farm purchsed new in 1934, replacing the Shaw Duall.

1937

Albert Shaw with the newest of the fleet, a 1937 International pick up truck.

1937

Winthrop Shaw on a wagon load of green oats, pulled by a team of horses, Joe and Thearies.

The barn in 1937

The summer that this picture was taken was a grueling one. A retaining wall had to be built to facilitate an expected silo, against the steep hill to the back of the barn. The wall is still there today. A storage shed would also be installed, which stood until the constrcution of the new barn in 2002.

The silo installed Spring 1938

A "Harder" 32 foot silo was installed in one day, early in 1938, by the Harder factory installer, who came from New York to set it up. Notice the pine trees on the hill, behind the barn. These were blown down by the big un-named catagory 3 hurricane of 1938. The timber was collected, brought to a local mill, and the boards were used to build many of the older structures still standing on Shaw farm today.

Albert Shaw

Sharpening a scythe, about 1939

1943 - Mechanized corn cutting

Corn bundle loader cuts the corn, and collects it in 70 pound bundles. The bundles are gathered by hand, and loaded onto a truck.

1943 - collecting bundled corn

Ben Sanford loading corn bundles on the converted flatbed 1937 GMC truck.

Spring, 1944

March 1944 finds ML Sr. and Winthrop Shaw in their new Dodge step-in truck. This was a big improvement over the open bed pick up trucks, which required a heavy quilt be pulled over the milk to keep it from getting warm on the route. The back of the new truck was well insulated.

September 1944

(L to R) Winthrop Shaw, Eleanor, Virginia (would later marry Winthrop), and ML Jr. on the four tractors used during the war years.

1944

two of the delivery trucks:

1937 International, in front of loading shed

1941 Dodge, next to milk plant

Sept 23, 1944

Johnny Huse (left) on our Farm-All Model H, and ML Sr (right) on a Farm-All Model M, gorrowed from Dan Hanson, a feed representative for the local co-op. Dan owned a farm, which we rented to raise heifers and keep our dry cows until they calved.

September 25, 1948

After the war, real automation came to Shaw Farm. Warren Shaw (Sr.) with a field chopper. This chopper would chop the corn in the field, and had a blower on the back that would blow the chopped corn into the truck. Shown is a 1937 GMC truck.

January 1949

Armed with a new camera, ML Shaw took this image of a Ford Ferguson tractor, sporting a new cab which they built in the basement of Winthrop's home on Hildreth Street. It's pulling a load of snow on a hydraulic trailer that Warren (Sr.) and Winthrop built.

January 1949

The hydraulic trailer was really made to haul and dump manure from the barn. Here it's shown hauling it's first load from the barn.

Another view of the trailer

Here the manure trailer, dubbed "The Shaw Special", in it's full up position.

Dumping snow

There was lots of snow that winter. Here the "Shaw Special" dumps a load of snow removed from the front of the barn.

Louden Co. Manure Trolley

Manufactured by Louden Manufacturing of Fairfield, Iowa, the installation of a Louden "Litter Carrier" made manure collection easier. Overhead trolleys of various types are still made by the company today.

Trolly ready to dump manure

This shows the final position of the trolly, ready to dump another load of manure into the "Shaw Special" wagon.

Farm-All H Tractor with winter modifications

We installed a windscreen and a plow blade on a frame to deal with the rough winter. Winter 1949

Perhaps on a dare.....

Not one to be daring, ML Shaw (Sr.) poses on a slightly raised plow blade, urged on by Winthrop. Winthrop later mentioned that his dad seemed "scared to death."

much more daring...

With ML (Sr.) at the wheel, Rolland and Winthrop take a ride to the top in this daring photograph from January 1949. Do not try this at home.

Nov 10th, 1949

After Winthrop moved to California to deal with emphezema, this image was taken showing a new Chevrolet pickup, and a Ford farm truck. Leah Huse is shown sitting on the cab of the Ford, at age 4.

About 1950

Albert Shaw with his dog, in front of a step-in milk truck.

Milk Bottle Washer

In our milk processing plant, this machine washes returned glass milk bottles. 1952

Walter Biedron Sr bottling milk

In our milk pocessing plant approx 1952

Ted Hudzik using a hay tedder

Our neighbor, Teddy, using a hay tedder, pulled by his horse, Jerry. about 1952

ML Shaw Jr.

circa 1955

ML Shaw's home

Located at 211 New Boston Road, in Fall of 1956

aprox 1957

Summer scene at Shaw Farm

Warren Shaw Sr.

Tall corn, 1957

circa 1957

Bob Gagnon standing with Warren Shaw, Jr., loading corn into silo next to a corn elevator.

the barn circa 1959

Showing the barn, and the Farm-All Model H tractor used for years and years on the farm.

1960

Before the farm store was constructed.

circa 1960

Large double load of hay going by the Shaw Farm on the way to the Steve Neofotistos farm nearby.

two tractors working hard.

Two Ferguson tractors plowing corn field on Shaw farm by Warren Shaw Sr. and Bob Gagnon. Spring 1960

ML Shaw's flower garden

circa Summer 1960

Out the window on a snowy day

During the winter of 1960, this image was taken out the window of ML Shaw's home, looking at the barn.

Spraying for army worm

Warren Shaw Sr standing on the running board, overseeing the spraying for army worm, only seen once every decade or so. The spraying was urgent. 1961

Albert Shaw

approximately Fall 1961, getting mail in front of 195 New Boston Road, the site of our farm.

Collecting hay Summer 1962

Robert Gagnon, standing on ground, in front of 1946 Ford Truck, with Warren Shaw Jr. and his sister Ruth standing on top.

1964

4-H project. First calves raised by Warren Shaw, Jr.

Warren Shaw Sr. and Jr.

Approximately Fall 1965, Warren Sr. and Warren Jr. posed for this image while chopping corn.

Wally Biedron unloading corn

At age 12, Wally was already working hard on the farm. Wally is the current Shaw Farm herdsman. Approx 1968.

First milk transit railroad at Shaw Farm

This railed cart system moved milk from the barn to the milk processing plant. This system was replaced by rubber wheeled trailers in 2000.

Warren Shaw Jr.

Chopping corn in 1972

Warren Shaw Sr. (L), Nancy Shaw (C), Nancy's brother Richard Kinports (R)

This photo from 1977 shows Warren Sr, along with his wife, Nancy, and her brother, Richard. Richard worked at the farm in the early 1950's.

Our weather vane, 1999

The weather vane on the Ice Cream Stand.

The current farm store - 1999

The farm store, and milk plant, which has served us well for producing and selling milk, ice cream, and other items will be replaced with a new facility in 2008.

1999 New Icream Stand

In 1999, we opened our new icream stand across the road from the farmhouse and barn. We serve all of the ice cream delights you might expect.

another view

The ice cream stand became an instant hit!

follow the cow sign

Our fresh icre cream is produced from cows that live across the street.

The barn circa 1999

This scene, featured on our first web site has remained basically unchanged since 1938. See 1938 pictures for comparison.

July 2002

In the summer of 2002, we tore down the shed attached to the old barn, to make room for the construction of the new barn addition.

Warren and Charlie watch on

Warren, and lifetime friend, Charlie Kuklinski, watch on as the shed is demolished. Summer 2002.

September 2002

The construction on the new barn is almost completed.

On October 14th, Warren leads the first tour

The new barn is completed, and on October 14th, 2002 Warren leads the first visitors on a tour of the new barn. This is the most modern dairn barn anywhere in the area. You can sign up for a tour of the barn on Mondays by selecting the link on the Home Page.

The newly completed barn

The farm has never looked better, and the cows have never been more comfortable. Our herd expanded significantly at this time.

full featured barn

The cows live on cushioned mats, the feed delivery is more automated, the manure removal is automated. Come by for a visit and a tour.

special events planned for the end of June 2008

Come and join us in celebrating our centennial. We plan several events, including hay rides through our spacious and beautiful farm.