The Hawk Families of Keokuk County, Iowa

JACOB S. HAWK.

In this publication which has to do with those who have been in the past or are to-day prominently concerned in the business, professional, political and social life of Keokuk county, we are gratified to give a specific consideration to Jacob S. Hawk, of Martinsburg, for his life has been one of activity and he is widely known throughout the county. He is a native of the Buckeye state, where he was born in Jackson township, Madison county, September 28, 1827. He comes of an old Virginia family, his father, William Hawk, having been born there, and reared and educated. Upon arriving at maturity he moved over into Ohio with his father, Jacob Hawk, and the rest of the family. Here our subject's father married and began his life as a farmer in Madison township. In the year 1853 he joined the great wave of emigration that was setting in toward the west and located in Keokuk county, where he took up land in Steady Run township. Here he continued to cultivate his farm until 1855, in which year he died at the age of fifty-eight years. He was a staunch Republican in politics and is remembered to have been a very worthy citizen of that section of the county. The mother of our subject was Leah Switzer, also a native of the Old Dominion state. She died in 1840 at a comparatively early age, being the mother of nine children, four sons and five daughters, all of whom grew to maturity, and seven of this family being still alive. The whole family came to Keokuk count)- in 1853.

Mr. Hawk was reared to farm life, and given a fair education. He assisted his father on the farm until the date of his marriage, September 6, 1849, when he set up an establishment of his own, continuing in the agricultural life to which he had been reared. His wife was

Electa J. Henson, who was a native of Jackson county, Ohio. Upon arrival in Keokuk county Mr. Hawk took up land in Steady Run township, where he engaged actively in farming until 1890, at which time. having by thrift and economy acquired a fair competence, he reared from active business, and purchasing a home in Martinsburg has since that time resided in that city. He retained his farm of one hundred and sixty-six acres up to the year 1900, when he sold out. Mr. and Mrs. Hawk had rive children, three of whom are living: William, residing at home; John, at Martinsburg; M. J., wife of Millard Parish, residing in Oregon City, Oregon.

Mr. Hawk has been continuously connected with the affairs of Steady Run township for forty-five years. He is a staunch Republican in politics, and has filled some of the minor offices of the township, having been constable for a period of fourteen years. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is a Mason, having his membership at Martinsburg; he is also affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It is worthy of note in connection with the record of this worthy gentleman that at the time when his country needed his services he enlisted in Company F, Thirty-third Iowa Volunteer Infantry, as a private soldier. In this organization he saw some severe service. During the service he was promoted to the position of sergeant of his company. The life of a soldier, however, was too severe for his constitution, and he was honorably discharged on account of disability.

Mr. Hawk is one of the stockholders and directors of the Martinsburg National Bank, one of the strongest organizations in Keokuk county. Although he is retired from active life as carried on by the farming element, he still keeps up his interest in everything that looks to the advancement of the material interests of his county. His acquaintance throughout the country is such that his advice is frequently sought in matters of investment by the younger men of the community, who have great confidence in his judgment in matters of land investment. In business Mr. Hawk has attained a very desirable success. Dependent entirely upon his own efforts, he has surmounted the obstaclein his path, and the difficulties which he has encountered have served as an impetus vk renewed labor. In this way he has advanced steadily to a position of influence and now, having acquired a handsome competence, he is enjoying a well earned rest.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

On section jj, in Steady Run township, in this county, lives the gentleman whose name initiated this paragraph, and who has resided in the same locality for an even half century. He was brought to the county when he was a child, and he and other members of the family have been identified with its agricultural development since that time. He is a son of David Hawk and is a native of the Buckeye state, having been horn in what is now known as Vinton county, March 22, 1840. The family comes from old Virginia state.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ALLEN HAWK. This gentleman is the youngest child of David and Elizabeth Hawk, as referred to above. He is the present efficient trustee of Steady Run township and is a man of influence in the affairs of the county. In connection with his farming, which is conducted upon the Hawk homestead, where the father lived a long time and died, he is also interested in the financial institutions of the town of Hedrick, being stockholder in one of the banks of that city. Mr. Hawk was born on the 2d of January, 1855. on the old home farm where his brother now resides. He received his education in the little old log schoolhouse of the home district and was reared with the rest of the children to the severe labor of a pioneer farm. He remained at home until his marriage, which occurred on the 24th of October, 1877. The lady he married was Miss Sara Bottorff, a native also of Steady Run township, the daughter of J. L. and Mary M. (Heninger) Bottorff. Her father was a pioneer of the county, who emigrated to the west from the Hoosier state. The parents of Mrs. Hawk were married in this county and remained here until their deaths. After his marriage Mr. Hawk immediately began housekeeping on the old homestead, where he has since continued to reside, engaged in farming and stock raising. They have two children, Roy and Lulu.

The farm which Mr. Hawk cultivates consists of two hundred and forty acre* at the home place, which body of land is regarded as one of the best and most highly improved farm properties in Keokuk county. He also operates a tract of one hundred and twenty acres on section 29.

As stated in the first part of this article, Mr. Hawk is also interested in the banking business, being a stockholder in the First National Bank and also in the Savings Bank of the neighboring city of Hedrick. He supports the party of Lincoln and Garfield and is at present serving his fourth year as trustee of Steady Run township. Mr. Hawk is very actively interested in the Masonic fraternity, having his Blue lodge membership in Martinsburg, a member of the chapter at Sigourney, and a member of the commandery at Oskaloosa. In these different branches of the order he has served frequently in the different chairs. He was master of his lodge for a continuous period of twelve years, senior warden for four years, and is now master of the lodge at Martinsburg. He is a man who has passed his entire lifetime within the bounds of his native county, is a public-spirited and progressive citizen, and his prominent identification with the business interests of the county all go to make him universally recognized and honored. The authors of this volume are glad to give representation to this family in the pages of a work which is devoted to the honorable families of Keokuk county.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

Having put aside farm work Morgan Hawk is now living a retired life, making his home in the town of Delta, where he is widely and favorably known. He was born in Union county, Ohio, July 4,

1838, and comes of an old Virginia family. His father, Jacob Hawk, was born in Hardy comity, Virginia, and there spent the days of his boyhood and youth, but in early manhood he left the Old Dominion and in 1830 traveled westward to Knox county Ohio. There he located and after a time removed to Union county, that state, where he remained until 1854. In the latter year he determined to establish a home beyond the Mississippi, attracted by the possibilities of this great and rapidly developing section of the country. Making his way to Iowa he settled in Warren township, Keokuk county, where he purchased a farm of two hundred and ninety acres of partially improved land. He was married in Virginia to Sedeen Real, a native of the Old Dominion, where she remained until her marriage. They became the parents of ten children, seven sons and three daughters: Eunice B., Martin; Dolly, who died in infancy; Isaac; William and John, deceased; Anthony, Sarah, Morgan, and Vanson. The father of this family remained upon the old home farm in Warren township until his death, which occurred in 1878, when he was eighty-four years of age. He was a life-long Democrat and was a member of the Baptist church. In whatever community he resided he was known for his sterling worth, his fidelity and many principles and his devotion to truth and the right.

Morgan Hawk was the sixth son and ninth child in his father's family. Under the parental roof he spent the days of his childhood, and with his parents came to Iowa when fifteen years of age, remaining with them until they were called to their final rest. He afterward became the owner of the old homestead, which remained in his possession until 1 90 1. He has resided in Delta since 1899. He bought a lot here and built his present home. Throughout the years of his business life he carried on agricultural pursuits, his training at this work in youth having brought him practical experience which well fitted him to take charge of the farm on attaining manhood. He followed progressive methods, keeping in touch with the advancement of the times, and everything about the place was indicative of the careful and enterprising spirit of the owner, whose efforts at farm work were crowned with a high degree of success which now enables him to put aside business cares and rest in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil.

Mr. Hawk was married in Warren township to Miss Sarah Jane Scott, a native of Indiana and a daughter of John Scott, who was born in Kentucky and became one of the pioneer settlers of Keokuk county, Iowa, arriving here in the year 1844. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hawk has been blessed with ten children, four sons and six daughters, as follows: John, Edward, Mary, Lacey, Amanda, the wife of Lee Dawson; Clara, the wife of Wesley Snider; William; Delia, the wife of Virgil Bell; Gertrude, the wife of John S. Scoonover; and Jessie, deceased. All of these children were born on the old family homestead and with the exception of three, all of the living are yet residents of Warren township, and those three reside in neighboring townships, so that the surviving members of the family are all near to their parents. Mr. Hawk has ever devoted his political work to the support of the Democracy and has kept well informed on the issues of the day, so that he has been enabled to support his position by intelligent argument. Both he and his wife are faithful and devoted members of the Christian church, are well known in the community where they make their home and are highly respected by reason of their many excellent qualities of heart and mind. They have long traveled life's journey together and have many friends.

genealogical and biographical history. 211 chauncy richmond.

Chauncy Richmond, who is now living a retired life in Webster, but for many years was actively associated with farming interests in Keokuk county, was born in Loraine county, Ohio, February 12, 1818. His father, Amos Richmond, was a native of New York and was of English parentage. He spent the days of his youth in the Empire state, acquired his education in its public schools and remained with his parents until he had attained early manhood. He served his country throughout the war of 1812 and when a young man left the Empire state and removed westward to Ohio, settling in Loraine county, where he carried on the work of tilling the soil. He was married in that county to Miss Alvira Bronson, a native of Connecticut, where she was reared and educated. They were the parents of eight children, five sons and three daughters.

Chauncy Richmond is the eldest son and now the only surviving member of the family. He spent his early childhood in the county of his nativity and is indebted to its public school system for the educational privileges he enjoyed. He remained at home until fifteen years of age and then went to Cleveland, Ohio, where he became connected with the tanning business, which he followed there for three years. He next became a sailor upon Lake Erie, and after a year spent in that way he left Cleveland, removing to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he secured a position as a watchman on the steamboat Favorite, on which vessel he made the trip from Pittsburg down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans and thence across the gulf of Mexico to Mobile, Alabama. He remained upon the Favorite throughout the winter, but in the spring returned to New Orleans and thence made his way up the Mississippi river to St. Louis, Missouri. From there he went to Louisville, Kentucky, and ran on a boat from that city to Pittsburg, remaining in that position for about a year. Leaving the boat at Louisville, he proceeded to St. Louis and from there went up the river to Warsaw, Illinois, where he engaged in farming, remaining there for about three years.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.