History of Glenshaw 1800-1929 By Laura J. Hunter About the year 1800 John Shaw, Sr. purchased a tract of land containing six hundred acres from John Wilkins, who had bought this land the year before form the heirs of William Penn. Mr. Shaw brought with him hi wife Betsy Wilson of Wilkinsburg. They had three sons who made Glenshaw their permanent home: Thomas Wilson Shaw (Mrs. Watson Father): John Shaw , Jr. (Sarah Shaw's grandfather_ and James Shaw (father of Wilson A Shaw). Mr. Shaw first built a log sawmill on Pine Creek to prepare the lumber for his house which he built on the property on Glenshaw Avenue, where Dr. Ray now lives. He then built a log gristmill, which stood until 1845. His son John Jr. then replaced it with a much larger brick grist mill. This mill stood on the property between the road and railroad across from the present school building. About the year 1835 Thomas Wilson Shaw built a sickle factory on Pine Creek not far above his home. Long bladed reaping sickles were made from steel imported from Russia. This steel had to be ordered two years in advance. The factory was run by water power and about a dozen men were employed. These sickles were shipped south to be used in cotton cutting time. After this factory ceased to operate the building was converted into a dwelling and later became the first Sunday School and Church. \ The oldest house in Glenshaw to-day is the John Shaw Jr. house at the corner of Glenshaw Ave. and State Highway, not owned by Mrs. Walter Shaw. The second is the house at the corner of Charles St. and State Hwy, now owned by the H. C. Shaw girls. Other old houses still standing are the William Shaw home cornet of Glenshaw and State Hwy, no owned by D.r Ray, The Nancy Mill house the manse of the new Glenshaw Community Church; the James Shaw home at the Stock Farm; the Herron house and the Mt. Royal cemetery house..,.. Of course no village in the early days was complete without a blacksmith shop. The first shop in Glenshaw was opened in Huckleberry Flat in 1850 by Mr. Joseph Hunter, father of William E. Hunter St. Besides shoeing horses he made the horse shod and also horse shoe nails... Glenny Wildest Dreams/Road's End Alpines & Nubians www.tcis.net/~wdreams/wdreams.html Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground. ICQ#45337016 AOL IM: glenny Get Paid to Surf the Web http://www.alladvantage.com/go.asp?refid=gwz593