The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPZEDIA.
tern of generous and hearty hospitality. To those who
viewed him at a distance his manner seemed reserved and
cold; but a more intimate acquaintance revealed a heart
warmn with all the genial sympathies of love and friendship.
Ie was privileged not to outlive his activity and usefulness,
but to fall at the post of duty in the unblunted vigor of his
strong intellect. Early in December, I852, he repaired to
Columbus to attend the Court in Banc. He was retained
in some cases of importance, and one in particular which
required profound effort in the preparation of the argument.
His intense application aggravated and developed a disease
to which he was predisposed, and which was the cause of
his death. He left Columbus in February for his home,
but was not able to proceed further than his son's, in
Painesville, where he died on March 4th, I853. It was
said of him after his death: "By this event the State, the
church, the neighborhood, and the family circle, of which
he was a light and ornament, have sustained an irreparable
loss. None knew him intimately but to respect and love
him. Fcw men through so long a series of years have received more decisive proofs of public esteem and general
confidence; for most of his mature life has been spent in
official stations of high trust and responsibility. In his
death Ohio mourns the removal of one of her most beloved
and honored citizens-one whose best energies have with
conscientious integrity been devoted to the promotion of
her best interests."
a s tock of goods, g etting c redit on Mr. Moore's recommendation. On his return to Ohio he opened a store in Tiffiln,
wh ich was then co mparatively a new town, hav ing been
lai d out but a fe w years, a nd cont ained a population of
about five hundred. Ile h ad but a limit ed capital when he
first embarked in busin ess, but ra pidly incre ased i t by frugality and good management. He wa s t hus actively engaged for eighteen years, selling goods and purc hasing
grain and all kinds o f produce. The nearest ship ping
point on the lake was at Sandusky, and a l l g oods required
wagon transportation from the latter place to Tiffin until
I840, when the Mad River Railroad was constructed from
Sandusky to Tiffin, which was the terminus for some years.
Thus the country improved very much, and trade at Tiffini
increased rapidly after the line was opened for travel. In
I85I, feeling the need of relaxation, he closed up his business in Tiffin, and transferred his stock to a branch store at
Cary, which he had established a few years previously.
He completed, in I850, the Shawhan House, and having
leased it, reserved a suite of rooms therein for himself and
wife, wherein he passed the three following years in study,
paying particular attention to geography, history, and the
natural sciences. The limited schooling he had received
during youth seemed to him to demahd an increase of
knowledge, and he availed himself of his leisure hours to
acquire a first-class education. He commenced the purchase of standard works, and has now the best' private
library in that portion of the State. He regards these three
years of relaxation and mental culture as time well employed. In I854 and I855 he travelled much in Michigan
and Wisconsin, and during the latter year purchased 2000
acres of land in Dane county, Wisconsin. lIn December,
I857, he made a trip with his wife to Cuba, where he
passed the winter, and returned via New Orleans. ie
attended the land sales at Omaha, Nebraska, and Leaven-worth, Kansas, in i858, where be purchased some 30,000
acres of government land, all of which paid well. In the
same year he joined G. Sneath ill starting the Bank of
Tiffin, which, after the war, was merged into the National
Exchange Bank of Tiffin, in which he has been a large
stockholder since its organization. In August, I862, he
purchased from hi-s'nepbew, F. R. Shawhan, who was in
the dry-goods trade, the latter's interests in business, as he
was desirous of entering the army, which he did as Captain
of a company, and served throughout the war. He contiinued in the dry-goods trade until I865, when he sold the
establishment to Engleman & Dorle. In I866 he erected
the Empire Block, and in the following year opened a drygoods store in it, in company with J. B. Wilson; The firm
carried a heavy stock of goods, and did a large business for
some three years. In I87o they relinquished the store,
disposing of the same to G. W. Burkirk. Ill I87 I Mr.
Shawhah sailed for Lonldon, and passed'two months in
England during the autumn of that year. On April ISt,
I875, he sold out an interest which he had, with Captain
HAWHAN, REZIN W., Merchant, was born,
W October Ig th, I8I I, in Berkeley countuy, Vir D ginia, and is the youngest son of Frederick Shaw ha n, who was a nat i ve of Kent county, M aryland,
a but had settled in Virginia af ter the war of the
Revolution, in which he was an active particip a nt, having enlisted when but seventeen years of age, and
served under Generals Wayne, Greene, La Fayette, and
Washington. He was at th e captu re of St ony Point, by
Wayne; at the battle of Monmouth, the crossing of the
Delaware, and the subsequent capture of the Hessians at
Trenton. In I812 he removed to Ohio, and at first located
in Fairfield county. In t828 he removed to Wayne county,
and afterwards settled in Seneca county, and died near
T iffin, August 26th, I840o, in th e eight ieth year of his age.
Rezin was employed on a farm until he was about fifteen
years old. His educational advantages were exceedingly
l imi t ed, comprising only that which could be obtained in
the district schools of that day, and amounting in all to
about eight months. About the year I826 he entered the
store of William McComb, in Wooster. When eighteen
years of age he was employed as a clerk by Zopher T.
Moore, with whom he remained about three years. In
I833 he visited Seneca county, where his father had settled, and in the autumn of that year accompanied his fo rm er
employer, Z. T. Moore, to New York, where he purchased
576
I