Contributed to the Pierce County WIGenWeb Project by Nance Sampson nsampson@spacestar.net
@2000 by Nance Sampson

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Submitted by Debbie Barrett June 13, 2001
mrsgrinnin@home.com

HON. CHAS. A. HAWN, lumberman, Rock Elm, Pierce county, was born at Ellisburg,
N. Y., November 5, 1828.  His paternal grandfather, John Hawn, was a native of
Germany and came to America in 1785; his wife, a Mohawk-Dutch woman, barely
escaped death at the hands of an Indian during the Revolution.  Their son
Adam was born June 21, 1796, and married Eliza Lewis, a native of Oswego
county, N. Y., of French and English descent.  Their children were: Charles 
A., Cornelia (Mrs. J. Persons), Jerome P., and Danford H.  Charles A. 
attended the common schools and in 1848 removed with his parents to Neosho,
Wis., where he learned the miller's trade, and later carried on a saw-mill.
He spent one season (1859) in the Rocky mountains, mining and prospecting.
The claim which he worked was afterward sold for a large sum.  In 1867 Mr.
Hawn came to Rock Elm, Wis., shipping the machinery for a saw-mill, by boat
to Maiden Rock.  In six weeks after is arrival the mill was running.  This 
mill and a general store he carried on in company with S. J. Fox for about
four years.  The lumber business is still extensively carried on under the 
name of C. A. Hawn & Sons.  They have another mill at Olivet, Wis.  They also
manufacture cheese boxes and operate a feed grinder and planing-mill. Mr.
Hawn first "squatted" on lands of the C., St. P., M. & O. railroad, which
he purchased a few years later.  The greater part of the village has been 
built on this land.  He now owns 340 acres.  He has devoted considerable
attention to the study of minerals and mining and is an expert prospector.
In 1887, with W. W. Newell, he began prospecting for gold on Plum creek,
which flows through his farm.  The labors were rewarded by a production of
several valuable "colors" and specimens, also numerous garnets, and several
diamonds.  The latter have been examined by experts and pronounced genuine.
Further investigations demonstrated that there were numerous valuable 
deposits along the bed of the stream.  The Land & Flour Gold Company was
incorporated in 1887, but owing to certain difficulties in the work, no 
mines are being worked at present.

April 20, 1855, Mr. Hawn married Miss Louisa Priscilla White, and four 
children have blessed this union, namely: Jay L., Ed. L., Eliza and Cassius
D.  Jay L. Hawn married, September 14, 1879, Miss Luella E. Dutcher, and 
has one child, Charles E.; his wife died March 2, 1888.  Ed. L. Hawn married,
December 25, 1884, Miss Emma Melcher, and now resides at Olivet, Wis.  He
has served as clerk of court in Pierce county.  The third child, Eliza, is
now the wife of C. W. Merrill, M. D.  December 25, 1889, Cassius D., the
fourth child, married Miss Mary E. Richardson, and has one son, Ray.  All of
Mr. Hawn's sons were educated at Rock Elm public school, and are associated
with him in business.  All are prohibitionists and members of the I. O. G. T.
Ed. L. also belongs to the I. O. O. F.  Politically Mr. Hawn was for many
years a republican, but for a few years past has supported the prohibition
movement.  He has served his town as chairman of the board, and in 1877
represented the district in the assembly.  He is a member of the A. F. and
A. M., and a gentleman who commands the respect of a large circle of 
acquaintances.

--Taken from the "Historical and Biographical Album of the Chippewa Valley
Wisconsin Including A General Historical Sketch of the Chippewa Valley;
Ancestral Records fo Leading Families; Biographies of Representative Citizens,
Past and Present; and Portraits of Prominent Men.  Edited by George Forrester.
Published in Chicago, Illinois by A. Warner. Publisher. 1891-2. Pages 639-640