One Township's Yesterdays Chapter XXVIII  

HAWKINS

The glamour of adventure and daring, and a certain element of mystery, surrounds the coming of the grandsire of the HAWKINS family from far across the sea to the shores of America and westward into the wilderness where gleamed the waters of Maxinkuckee.

Somewhere, in England, there was born, on September 26, 1782, a boy, a direct descendant, so it is claimed, of Sir JOHN HAWKINS, the fearless English admiral who fought against the Spanish Armada, and of Sir John's son, Sir Richard, who with his followers tool. part in Drake's raid and put to flight a horde of pirates on the Spanish Main. [Note: Sir JOHN HAWKINS (1532-95), au [an] English admiral, engaged in the slave trade; defeated by the Spanish, 1567; treasurer of the navy, 1572; rear-admiral 1588; fought against the Armada; and died on a voyage to the West Indies. Sir RICHARD HAWKINS (1562-1622), an English admiral son of Sir JOHN HAWKINS, commanded the "Duck" in Drake's raid on the Spanish Main, 1585; was captain of the "Swallow" in the attack on the Great Armada, 1588; sailed in the "Dainty" for the Pacific, 1393; plundered Valparaiso (not the one in Indiana), and, in San Mateo Bay, kept up a three days' tight with two Spanish galleons, but finally capitulated, and was for ten years a prisoner; was subsequently ransomed, was knighted by James I, and made vice-admiral at Devon.]

"Be this as it may," one finds written in a little memorial of the HAWKINS family, "this little boy grew to manhood and emigrated perhaps for adventure's sake, perhaps on account of religious persecutions, to America, the land of the free, where all peoples were permitted to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience.

"He first located in Connecticut and later in Cincinnati, Ohio. One night in Cincinnati, he put up at a little house or tavern in a part of the city known for years as _ Over the Rhine,' or what was really just across the canal from the rest of the city. He was conducted to a bed in the loft, just one story up, and during the night was awakened by low voices in the room below. Being of an inquisitive nature, lie cautiously slipped out of bed, placed his ear near a small opening in the floor and overheard two men plotting to kill him, take what money he had and throw him in the canal.

"More cautious now than ever, he put on his clothing, carefully raised the window and let himself to the ground, making a. safe get-away. Had he not done this there would be no reunion of the HAWKINS family today, as that little boy, grown to manhood, was Grandfather ZADOCK HAWKINS."

As was fitting, his youngest grandson and namesake, ZADOCK T. HAWKINS, of Fairmount, Indiana, prepared as a memorial a little book, "One Hundred and Fifty Years of the HAWKINS Family. 1783-1933." The writer goes on to tell how the family came to Lake Maxinkuckee. "Grandfather HAWKINS married Jane (maiden name unknown), probably in Cincinnati and to them five sons and four daughters,

Elisha
Ezra Eleazer
William
Zadock
Elijah
Cena
Malinda
Denica
Mary Jane

HAWKINS were born. "Leaving Cincinnati; they moved across the Ohio river to Covington, Kentucky, the birthplace of William and Denica. Later they moved to a place near Lake Maxinkuckee, Indiana. where they spent the remainder of their lives.

"Grandfather HAWKINS died February 26, 1859, at the age of seventy-six years and five months, and Grandmother Jane HAWKINS died September 26, 1855, at the age of sixty-eight years, one month and twenty-nine days, both being buried in the Lawson graveyard about one mile east of the south end of Lake Maxinkuckee. But little is known of the life of the son, ZADOCK HAWKINS, Jr., but in the Lawson graveyard, not far from the resting place of Grandfather HAWKINS there is a tombstone whereon is inscribed these words 'Sarah, wife of Z. HAWKINS, died April 6, 1857 aged 42 years,' and it is presumed she was his wife."

The historian of the HAWKINS family continues with the genealogy, tracing the lineage from Grandfather ZADOCK HAWKINS, in the book compiled and published in connection with the HAWKINS family reunion at Lake Maxinkuckee in 1933.

The Lawson graveyard referred to, is most generally known as the Washington cemetery. This is one of the old graveyards of the township, and the names of a number of the pioneer families, especially of the Washington neighborhood, appear on the headstones. The grave of Grandfather ZADOCK HAWKINS is in the southwest corner of the cemetery, only a few paces north of the road. On the square-cornered headstone, there is carved at the top the opened Bible so often found on memorials and markers of the earlier days, with a simple inscription beneath: the name, ZADOCK HAWKINS, the date of death, and the exact age, as the historian HAWKINS has recorded.

The second row of graves from the west boundary of the cemetery is almost entirely made up of early burials of members of the HAWKINS family. A plain square stone adjoining that of Grandfather HAWKINS, to the north, marks the grave of Grandmother Jane HAWKINS.

In the same row, to the north of this grave, are four stones of the COPLENs family, then a break, beyond which the row is resumed, with a marker for FRANCIS M. OWENS, who died July 23, 1865, aged twenty-two years, five months and twenty-one days.

In his early manhood, EZRA E. HAWKINS, the second child of Grandfather HAWKINS, was married to NANCY OWENS. There does not appear to be any FRANCIS M. OWENS in the line of descent, so far as the records go, and the identity of Francis has not been established, though there is small doubt as to close connection through NANCY Owens. In the row, next to the OWENs marker is a small stone marked "S. F." Then, beyond, is a square stone with the carving of a circle enclosing a rose design. This is the memorial for "Sarah, wife of Z. HAWKINS, Jun." already referred to by the family historian. To the north, completing the row, are three small unmarked stone's.

The first ZADOCK HAWKINS, the pioneer, was a great great-grandfather of the present fourth generation in and around Culver. He was born 152 years ago in 1934. Tracing the descent to EZRA E. HAWKINS, now residing in Culver.

We find that William W., the son of the pioneer Zadock, was the father of Ezra E., which after all is a very short line. William W., the third son of Zadock and JANE HAWKINS, was born in Covington, Kentucky. March 6, 1822, which was 112 years ago, and died January 4, 1892, aged nearly seventy. He was buried in North Union Cemetery. His wife, TALITHA A. OWENS, was born February 2, indiana_map_1827, and died September 4. 1891, just four months before the death of her husband. She was sixty-four years of age, and was buried beside her husband in North Union Cemetery, They spent all their married life on a farm in this section. Members of their family married into the FETTERS and GARN families.

EZRA E. HAWKINS was the fourth child, born in this county, March 27, 1853. He was married June 12, 1874, to MARY ANN EBLING, his first wife, who died in 1911. Their children were

Clarence, of Fostoria, Ohio
William Benjamin of Culver
BERTHA KIMMEL, of Mishawaka
Lloyd of Culver
Elza, of Culver
LOTTIE MARSHALL, of Culver
Fred., deceased.

EZRA HAWKINS married Mrs. JENNIE HOLLETT in the fall of 1914.


Edward E, a son of WILLIAM HAWKINS, was born January 4, 1882, in this county, and now resides in South Bend.

The HAWKINS homestead was east of Lake Maxinkuckee. EZRA HAWKINS locates it some distance south of the present Road 10 and a bit north of the Vonnegut orchards. It was on the dirt road that extends east from the lake at the K. K. CULVER cottage, being on the south side of that road and somewhat east of its junction with the Maxinkuckee village road. The land later used to be the BARNEY ADAMSON place. ZADOCK HAWKINS came there the year President BUCHANAN took office, Mr. HAWKINS recalls. That was 1857. But more than likely it was some time before that, for Ezra is now eighty-one. The home site east of the lake was the first place the family went to from Kentucky and the South, as near as Mr. HAWKINS can recollect. "As near as I can tell," he says, "I was born there. It was the original HAWKINS homestead. From there, we moved across the lake to a location west of the Doctor Durr farm, a little southwest of Culver, on the Doll Road."

The importance of this family in our history is chiefly because of the fact that the entire American family centers in Union Township and the first of the family, emigrant and pioneer, lies buried here.

Prominent among the descendants is VERNE LARNE REYNOLDS, son of JOHN REYNOLDS and PHEBE ETTA HAWKINS, who was twice nominated for President of the United States by the Socialist Labor party. BRET HARTE HAWKINS, an artist, has for over twelve years (prior to 1934) been night editor of the "Indianapolis Star."