Biographical Sketch of John, William H. & Robert H. Evens, Washington 
County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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John, William H. and Robert H. Evens are sons of John Evens (deceased),
who was numbered among the early settlers of Washington County and was
one of the best men who ever made that county his home.  He was born in
Lelcestershire, England, December 10, 1797. At an early age he received
the appointment of cadet in the service of the East India Company, and
was educated for a military career, but upon the surrender of Napoleon
I, in 1815, general peace was declared, and young Evens, with many
other aspirants for the excitement of foreign service, was dismissed 
and returned to his home. After laboring a few years with his father on
the farm he decided to seek his fortune in the New World, and sailed 
from Liverpool in May, 1821, landing in New York on June 20; from that
city he walked to Phillipsburg, Penn., where parties resided to whom he
had letters of introduction, and he remained there until the fall of
1822, when with three other young men he walked to Pittsburgh, where
they bought a skiff, descended the Ohio River to Shawneetown and from
there walked to Ste. Genevieve, Mo., thence to the New Diggings, near
Potosi, and commenced mining operations.  In 1825, having saved a few
hundred dollars, he took a trip to Galena, Ill., and on the way had the
good fortune to be in St. Louis on the arrival of Gen. La Fayette, of 
France.  He returned to Missouri the next fall and engaged in mining at
Valle's Mines in Jefferson and St. Francois Counties; he became engaged 
in the lead smelting business in 1827, and in 1837 built and put in
operation a blast furnace.  Mr. Evens made several trips to Galena,
where he was engaged in the smelting business and during this time 
twice volunteered his services to the United States against the Indians
under Black Hawk, and the last time remained in the ranks until the 
noted chief was captured.  Politically, he was an old line Whig.  When
the late war broke out he took sides with the Government, and with one
of his sons raised a company at their own expense, which became Company
C of the Thirty-first Missouri Regiment.  In 1862 Mr. Evens was elected
representative from Washington County and served in the session of 
1862-63.  His religious preferences were Old School Presbyterian, 
having united with the church in Potosi in 1836.  Mr. Evens married
Charlotte Haigh, April 12, 1827.  They had ten children, of whom four
are now living, viz.: John, William H., Robert H. and Mary, wife of
Charles T. Manter, of Bismarck.  Mr. Evens died July 21, 1878.  Mrs.
Evens, who was born in England in 1806, is still living.  John Evens, 
the eldest son, was born in Washington County, September 18, 1837 was
reared on the old homestead, where he still resides, and owns a choice
tract of land of 640 acres.  He married Miss Martha Fatchett in May,
1866; she was also born in Washington County, and is the daughter of
John and Alice Fatchett.  Seven children have blessed this union, viz.:
John F., Edward T., William H., Philip R., Nellie, Cora and Alice. 
Capt. William H. Evens, the second son of John and Charlotte (Haigh)
Evens, is the proprietor of the Hopewell Mills, and was born in Wash-
ington County December 11, 1839.  He remained on the home farm until
the outbreak of the war, when he assisted his father raise a company, 
of which he was commissioned captain, and assigned to the Thirty-first
Missouri Volunteer Infantry, Union army. He participated in the battles 
of Chickasaw Bayou, Jackson, the Siege of Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain,
Ringgold and the Atlanta Campaign.  After his return home he engaged in
the manufacture of lumber, establishing his present business in 1876.
September 21, 1871, he married Eliza Day, a native of Lincolnshire,
England.  Their family of five children are named Walter H., Harry E.,
John S., George Claude and Mary.  Robert H. Evens, the youngest son, is
one of the leading merchants of Washington County, and is located at
Hopewell, where he deals in general merchandise, mineral, etc.  He is
doing a profitable and satisfactory business in a most favorable loca-
tion.  He was born December 2, 1848, and was reared with a mercantile
experience and engaged in business for himself in 1873.  He has held 
the office of postmaster of Hopewell since 1878. 

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