Community Spirit

Community Spirit. . , In the 1930s, life in Gig Harbor centered on earning a living, tending to family, and building a community. One independent, creative individual went a step further. C.E. Shaw made it his mission to put fun into harbor life. A true showman, Shaw devised numerous events and activities in his desire to "put Gig Harbor on the map." Beauty pageants for babies, pet parades, round rock contests, and rooster races were a few of Shaw's ideas that entertained harbor residents., C.E. Shaw came to Gig Harbor in 1919 with his wife Vina and their children Frank, Violet, and Jane. Shaw was an accomplished commercial artist and in 1938 opened a sign painting shop near this site next to the Austin sawmill. In 1948 he added printing services., Shaw had strong opinions and never failed to put up a fight for what he believed was for the good of Gig Harbor. He was infamous for using his printing press to promote his opinions. But he also was civic minded, providing a source of support for events such as the campaign to build a community bandstand and the opening celebrations of the first and second Narrows bridges., Shaw's biggest success was his racing roosters. Beginning in 1935, he raced his roosters around Western Washington and attracted national attention. The 1936 Gig Harbor Rooster Races appeared in a Movietone newsreel. Shaw raced several of his roosters at Madison Square Garden in New York for the Hobby Lobby radio show., Shaw and his family valued the preservation of local history. They saved artifacts and rare Gig Harbor photographs dating from the 1880s that had been abandoned in the old house of pioneers A.M. and Rachel Burnham. The items are in the collection of the Harbor History Museum., Frank Shaw was a gifted amateur photographer. His images provide a priceless historic record of Gig Harbor from the late 1940s into the 1960s. His sister, Jane, donated more than 1,300 of Frank's images to the museum., [Photo captions, top to bottom, read] , . C. E. and Vina Shaw at Rooster Race ticket booth, . Shaw's sign shop, in front of Austin Mill, 1946, . C.E. Shaw releases his roosters at the start of the 1937 race held at today's Donkey Creek Park