North Chester Borough.
buildings. Mill No. 2 is one hundred and fifteen feet in length by fifty-eight feet in width, three stories in height. To it are attached an engine-, boiler-, dry- and dye-houses, forming a wing one hundred and fifty by thirty-three. feet, and directly at the other end of the main building is a weave-shed, one hundred and sixteen by forty feet, one story in height. There is also detached a spreader and a mixing-room, seventy by thirty feet, two stories in height, and other necessary buildings. Connected with these mills are thirty-five comfortable dwelling-houses, two- and three-storied buildings, erected by the firm for the convenience of the operatives. The grounds connected with the Powhattan Mills comprise twenty acres. The goods manufactured in these mills are known in the market as Powhattans, Covingtons, Provident, and all-wool jeans.
In the spring of 1877, Shaw & Esrey decided to erect a third mill, to be used exclusively for the manufacture of a finer class of goods. This building is one hundred and thirty-eight by fifty-five feet; three stories in height, with engine-, boiler-, dry-, dye-, and store-houses attached. In January, 1878, the firm began operations in this mill with four large sets of the best and latest-improved machinery, and in 1880 added two more sets of the same kind of machinery. In January, 1878, the firm of Shaw & Esrey was changed under the act of Assembly to a limited company. At that time the property owned by the company consisted of three mills, out-building, and machinery, fourteen dwelling-houses, and a tract of land, in all, with a capital of three hundred thousand dollars. The company consisted of Hugh Shaw, D. Reese Esrey, John Shaw, H. C. Esrey, and William H. Shaw. In 1879 the stock of H. C. Esrey, deceased, was transferred to C. S. Esrey, and he was admitted to the company. In 1878 the firm having occasion to use the basement of No. 1 mill, required Joseph G. Fell and Joseph Monroe to vacate it, and fulling and finishing machinery for finishing the wool doeskins, cashmeretts, and cassimeres made at No. 3 mill was placed therein. An admirable system prevails in these mills. Everything that can contribute to the progress of the business or the welfare of the employés is secured, without regard to the trouble or expense it may occasion. Many of the dwelling-houses are owned by the operatives, the firm having always striven to aid their hands to that end. The arrangements for extinguishing fires are unsurpassed, water and steam being introduced into each room by an automatic process, and an automatic alarm is also attached to give warning should any fire occur in the buildings. Each mill is provided with a steam pump in constant readiness, and each and all pumps are connected, so that should a fire occur in one mill, where by any accident the pump could not be worked, either of the other pumps could be used in its stead. Detached from each mill is a large building for storage of wool, cotton, and other materials. The Powhattan Mills at the present time contain twenty sets of cards, seven thousand one hundred and thirty-four spindles, and three hundred and thirty looms. The yearly production is about two million five hundred thousand yards, and three hundred hands are employed in the mills.
Hugh Shaw is of English parentage, his paternal grandfather having resided at Grotten Head, Yorkshire, England, where he was a successful weaver. His children were James, Alice, Betty, and Ann. James was born in the year 1800, in Saddleworth, Yorkshire, England, and learned the trade of a spinner, which he followed for many years. He married Betty, daughter of Daniel Andrew, of Shelderslow, Saddleworth, Yorkshire, and had children, - Samuel (deceased), Hugh, William, John, Andrew (deceased), James, and Elizabeth. His son, Hugh, was born Dec. 2, 1823, in Lees, near Oldham, Lancashire, England. Having entered the mills at an early age, he enjoyed but limited advantages of education, obtaining instruction principally in night-schools, from contact with others, close observation and research. He continued as a spinner until 1843, when on emigrating to the United States he entered the mills of W. T. Crook, at Crooksville, Delaware Co., Pa. Here he subsequently became foreman, and continued so until 1854, when he engaged in farming in Chester township. He remained thus employed until 1863, when forming a copartnership with D. R. Esrey, the interest in the mills of Patrick Kelly, of Aston township, was purchased, and the firm embarked in the manufacture of Powhattan jeans. In 1866 a mill was erected near Chester; in 1871 the increase of business warranted the building of another mill, and in 1877 a third was erected, doeskins and cassimeres having been meanwhile added to their productions.
The firm named was in 1878 changed to a limited company, with Hugh Shaw, D. R. Esrey, John Shaw, H. C. Esrey, and W. H. Shaw as members, the interest of H. C. Esrey, deceased, being in 1879 transferred to C. S. Esrey. Mr. Shaw married as his first wife Miss Anna Whittaker, of Lancashire, England. There were born to this marriage several children, the only survivor of whom is Elizabeth (Mrs. Samuel Crowther). By a second marriage, in 1853, to Miss Ann, daughter of Samuel Boaz, of Worcester, England, are children, - William H., Mary B., and Hannah C. Mr. Shaw is in his political predilections a Republican. He is identified with the Chester National Bank as one of its directors, and is also a stockholder in the Glenmore Worsted Mills of Philadelphia. In religion he is a worshiper with the congregation of the Third Presbyterian Church of Chester. He is an active member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has risen to the rank of a Knight Templar.
Joseph Esrey, the grandfather of David Reese Esrey, who was of English descent, resided in Radnor township, Delaware Co. He married Miss Hannah Haley, of Chester County, and had children, - John,