Ninth child of Daniel "Cashier Dan" Shawhan and Minerva Redmon — a sibling of William Winston Shawhan (direct line, Gen 6), not himself part of the traced direct line to Spencer. Confederate Civil War veteran and founder of the Shawhan Distillery Co. in Lone Jack, Missouri — the most fully documented of the family's several generations of whiskey distillers, and the namesake era of "Shawhan," Kentucky and the Shawhan brand sold out of Kansas City.
Life events
- 1843Born, Shawhan Station, Kentucky
- 16 Aug 1862(context, not his own action) Confederate Quantrill Raiders routed Union troops encamped at Lone Jack, Missouri, near the farm his family would later settle — one Raider, Cantrell, died on "the Shawhan farm" days after the battle; unclear if this refers to George's own family's later farm or a Shawhan relative already in the area at the time
- 20 Jan 1868Married Mary Francis Tatman
- Civil War (year not given) — Joined troopers under Confederate Gen. John Morgan; fought until captured during a raid into Ohio; held prisoner for the duration of the war; earned the honorary title "Colonel," used by friends throughout his later life
- 1872Settled in Lone Jack, Missouri, migrating from Bourbon County, Kentucky, together with his wife Mary, their two eldest children, and his mother, Minerva (Redmon) Shawhan — his father Daniel had died in 1860
- 1873Was making whiskey by this year (per the 1999 Star article), one year after settling
- 1878Added peach brandy to the distillery's product line
- 19 Sep 1880A still at the Lone Jack plant exploded; sources disagree on the death toll
- 1893His Jersey cattle herd won prizes at the Chicago World's Fair
- Jan 1900The Lone Jack distillery was destroyed by fire (warehouse and stored whiskey were spared, but the distilling plant was a total loss); George responded by purchasing the Holladay Distillery at Weston, Missouri, to keep the business alive
- 1900The Lone Jack and Weston (Holladay) operations were formally combined/incorporated as the Shawhan Distillery Co., operating at Weston from this point on
- by 1902Family had built a home at 645 Main St., Weston — still standing as of 1999 as the Benner House Bed and Breakfast
- 1907Bought the Spring River Distillery, Verona, Missouri (south of Joplin); the family sold it in 1918
- 1908Sold the Weston distillery and the Shawhan brand name to the Singer family (continued operating the Verona plant himself); the family narratives don't explain why he sold — possibly declining health, competitive pressure, or an offer he couldn't refuse, per the 1999 Star article's own explicit framing as speculation, not fact. The Shawhan brand name was eventually sold again, to Kansas City political boss Tom Pendergast — family records don't say how or whether he ever used it.
- 1912Died, age 69; buried Lee's Summit Cemetery, Lee's Summit, Missouri
Sources
- History and Genealogy of the Shawhan and Related Families
- The Shawhans by Ron T Shawhan 1983 — "The Missouri Shawhans" section, the single richest narrative in that document
- 1902-1907 Shawhan Distillery Ad Campaign — Kansas City Journal/Star and Beaumont Daily Journal ad campaigns and feature articles, 1902-1907; extensive primary-era detail
- 1999 KC Star Spirit of America Feature — full dedicated magazine feature on George specifically, by far the richest secondary source found on him, including named descendants, anecdotes, and photos
- Post-Shawhan Weston Distillery History Clippings — 1934/1938/1965/1971 clippings tracing the Weston distillery site's history after George sold it
- North and South Tales of Two Whiskey Men and Ben Holladay The Man and His Whiskey Names his 1863 capture during Morgan's Raid and confirms Camp Douglas, Chicago as the POW camp (resolving the "Ft. Douglas, Wisconsin" question below), and names a son-in-law, Homer Rowland — likely the father of grandson "Record Rowland."