John Hawke
Silver Bow County
History of Montana, Sanders, 1913

John Hawke, through persistency and a determination to 
forge ahead, has gained a high place for himself in the 
business world at Butte, where he is conducting a livery 
business.  At the present, in 1912, he is a member of the 
city board of alderman and his citizenship has ever been 
characterized by loyalty and public spirit of the most 
insistent order.

A native of England, John Hawke was born at Cornwall, 
that country on the 3rd of January 1867, and he is a 
son of Henry and Matilda (Veal) Hawke, both of whom are 
now deceased, the former having passed to the life 
eternal in 1882, and the latter in 1881.  The father 
was a farmer by occupation and he passed his entire 
life in England where he reared to maturity a family 
of six children, five of whom are living at the present 
time in 1912.

As a youth John Hawke attended school in the vicinity of 
his home in England and when fifteen years of age he 
became a farm hand on one of his father's estates near 
Cornwall.  Soon thereafter he came to America with an 
older brother and the two located at Warren, Warren 
County, Pennsylvania, where John was various engaged 
until March 1886 in which year he came to Montana.  
After his advent in this state, Mr. Hawke worked on 
the construction of the Blue Bird Mill at Butte for 
a time but in September 1886 he removed to Granite, 
this state where he eventually became interested in 
the occupation of stage driving.  He ran a stage from 
Philipsburg to Granite for three years prior to 1890 
and in that year engaged in the livery business at 
Granite in connection with his work as a stage driver.  
In 1894 he removed his livery business to Great Falls, 
where he remained until October 1895, coming at that 
time to Butte, where he has since maintained his home 
and business headquarters.  He is conducting a 
splendid livery business in this city and it may 
be said concerning him that his success is on a 
parity with his well-directed endeavors.  He has 
money invested in a number of other business 
enterprises in Butte and as a financier holds 
prestige as a man of splendid executive ability 
and good judgment.

At Butte Montana on the 20th of September, 1888, Mr. 
Hawke was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth 
Champion, a daughter of Joseph Champion who came 
to this city from England in the pioneer days.  
Mr. and Mrs. Hawke are the parents of six children: 
Nora Jane, Gertrude Ellen, Hazel Pearl, Ruby 
Elizabeth, the latter attending the Butte Business 
College; Lillian is in high school and John is a 
pupil in the McKinley school.