Nelson Shaw

Quick Facts

Significance:

Florida Homesteader

Place of Birth:

North Carolina

Date of Birth:

1825

Nelson Shaw was married to Marinda (Manida) on September 24, 1866. Then on October 13, 1866, at 41 years old, Nelson submitted his homestead application #212 at the Land Office of Tallahassee for 39.86 acres located in Gadsden County, Florida.

The 1870 United States Census lists Nelson Shaw as a 45 year old black male farm laborer who valued his not yet proven up homestead at $300. No wife is listed and it is unknown what happened to Marinda. A boy named Henry Shaw, 9 years old, is listed as living in Nelson's household and was noted to be mulatto and born in Florida. Another boy is listed living in the household, Alonzo Shaw, and is noted to be a 14 year old mulatto farm laborer born in Florida.

Nelson Shaw later filed a marriage license on April 22, 1871 to Hester Boens (Bowens) and married on April 24, 1871. Hester was born in 1852.

Nelson submitted his testimony in support of his homestead application on January 1, 1872. The witnesses were Duncan Jackson and David Crocket, and both testified that they had known Nelson for “10 years.” They also noted that at the time of their testimony Nelson Shaw was head of household and lived with his wife and 2 children.

Nelson made this land his exclusive home and resided there since November 1, 1866. He cultivated about 5 acres of land and made improvements that included building a house, a corn crib, cotton house, hen house, and stables.

Nelson Shaw received his homestead patent certificate #8 on January 6, 1873, and signed an X on only one of his documents, and other papers included his signature. However, according to the 1870 census, Nelson did not mark the boxes that he could not read or write.

It is unclear how long the homestead remained in the family. Nelson’s homestead application revealed that he applied on October 13, 1866, and the application was amended on 10/1871. In 1909, HR Parramore (Henry “Paramo” “Parramon”) sent a letter to the Department of the Interior, General Land Office. Henry was a white farmer from Mount Pleasant, Gadsden County. He wrote that Nelson Shaw did not live on the land after two years and never returned. A response from the Department of the Interior referenced that the homestead did belong to Nelson Shaw. It suggested that further inquiries would have to be at the State level.

In the 1880 United States Census, Nelson Shaw is listed as 48 years old, a farmer, and cannot write. Hester is listed as his 28 year old wife. Walton Bowen (14) and Samuel Bowen (9) are listed as stepsons. John (9), Nelson (7), Lee (4), Thena (2), and a baby boy (3 months) are listed as his children.

By the 1885 Census, Nelson was listed as a 52 year old widowed farmer and he marked the boxes that he could not read or write. Living in his household were John(14), Sam(16), Lee(12), Seney(name hard to read but age 9), Joe(7), Len (5), Jay (2), and an 87 year old woman named Hester noted as "Mother".

On June 30, 1885 Productions of Agriculture paperwork, Nelson Shaw enumerated himself as owner of his farm. He noted he improved or tilled 15 acres of land and had an unimproved 25 acres of woodland. He valued his farm, including its land, fences, and buildings at $280. He valued his implements and machinery at $10 and valued his livestock at $80. Nelson listed his cost of fencing to be at $15. Nelson estimated his value of all farm production (sold, consumed, or on hand) in 1884 at $200. He had 2 working oxen, 3 milkcows, and 4 "other" animals listed. Nelson noted that he produced 150 pounds of butter in 1884. He listed having 6 swine, 15 barn-yard poultry and 29 "other" with 20 dozens of eggs produced by June 1st, 1885. He listed to have 8 acres put to Indian Corn that produced 70 bushels in 1884. He grew 3 acres of cotton and produced one bale of cotton in 1884. Nelson also produced 6 bushels of Cow Peas. He grew one acre of Sweet Potatoes and produced 100 bushels in 1884.

~ Contributed by Falan Goff

Falan Goff

About the Contributor: Falan Olivia Goff is a genealogist/family historian. She is currently an active member of Mobile Creole Cultural and Historical Preservation Society. She is a 2x graduate of Florida A&M University with her Master of Science in Agriculture. Falan currently works for the United States Department of Agriculture. She has always been drawn to connecting family history, agriculture, and ancestral lands. Falan's primary goal is to continue to educate and connect families through her work with genealogy. She is vested in bridging the gap between agriculture and family history. Her primary areas of research are along the Gulf Coast from Bayou Lafourche and Orleans Parrish, Louisiana as well as Mobile, Alabama and Apalachicola, Florida.