Noah Shaw had been working for a sawmill, the Shaw & Bullen Mills, until 1860 when he established a foundry and machine shop along with J. D. Fisk, D. H. Ferguson and N. B. Grier, operating the Eagle Iron Works as Shaw, Fisk & Co.. Over the next decade, employment grew from four to fifty men, manufacturing engines, circular sawmills, edgers, shingle mills, and other sawmill machinery. Grier left the partnership in 1863, and Fisk left the following year. In 1867 Ferguson sold his share of the business to a local investor and in about 1873 Shaw bought that remaining share, leaving him as the sole owner, operating as Noah Shaw & Co.

Information Sources

• Eau Claire's 1878-03-12 Daily Free Press mentioned Eagle Iron Works, N. SHAW & CO., Proprietors."
• 1881 book, History of Northern Wisconsin."[Noah Shaw] was engineer and superintendent of the Shaw & Bullen Mills until he commenced business for himself, in 1860, by establishing foundry and machine shops in their present location, in a wooden building. The shops at first contained no lathe, no plainer and no drill, and employed four men. He gradually increased his manufacturing facilities until, in 1866, he erected the stone part of his works and at the present time employs about fifty men. They manufacture engines, rotary saw-mills, gang-edgers, double and single block shingle-mills, grub-pin lathes, and other saw and flour-mill machinery, manufacturing about $75,000 per year. The original firm was Shaw, Fisk & Co., composed of Noah Shaw, J. D. Fisk, D. H. Ferguson and N. B. Grier. They did all the work originally. In 1863, Grier sold out to remaining parties. In 1864, Fisk sold a half interest to Dr. Galloway, and a half to Noah Shaw. In 1867, Ferguson sold his interest to Dr. Galloway, and in 1873 or 1874, Mr. Shaw bought out Dr. Galloway, and has carried on the business alone most of the time since."
1884 Eau Claire City Directory: "EAGLE IRON WORKS, N Shaw & Co Proprietors, General Founders, Machinists and Manufacturers of Engines, Saw and Flour Mill Machinery, Etc, foot of Island ave e of C V & S Ry track."
• 1882 Polk's Wisconsin State Gazetteer and Business Directory: "Shaw , N., & Co., proprs. Eagle Iron Works, Menomonee, W. S."
• The 1893-94 Biennial Report of the Department of Labor and Industrial Statistics: "EAGLE IRON WORKS, N. SHAW & CO., Props, mfrs. saw mill machinery. Three buildiogs—one 1-st stone; two 1 st. frame; one boiler; one engine, 60 horse power. Estab. 1859. Accident — One of the proprietors was severely injured by falling against large planer tearing the flesh from his arm; he was disabled about four months." They had 35 male employees and one female.
• 1897-09-16 The Iron Age: "The Eagle Iron Works. at Eau Claire. Wis. owned by Noah Shaw & Co.. have been partly destroyed by fire. involving a loss of $51110. partly insured."
• The University of Wisconsin Madison Libraries has the company papers in its collection, dating 1868-1893. The description notes, "The firm was known as Shaw, Fisk and Company, Eagle Iron Works, and Noah Shaw and Company at various stages of its existence."