Person:Francis Hawkins (6)

Examples of obituaries for Francis Cunningham Hawkins: From the Rogers, Benton, Arkansas paper after his death: "Mr. Hawkins [unintelligable] Ohio, in March 1840. He was married in 1884 at Larned, Kansas to Miss Lizzie Miller, and to them were born two children, Prof. Frank Hawkins of the U. of A. faculty at Fayetteville, and Mrs. Finis Miller of Rogers. Mr. Hawkins and family went to Bentonville in 1888, where he was engaged in the implement and stock business. They came to Rogers in 1900, and Mr. Hawkins was in the livery business here on South First St. for several years. He was also an auctioneer. Failing health caused him to retire from active business and he invested his money in local property and had given his attention to that and to his home place. Mr. Hawkins was a large man in physique; a big, good natured man who made friends easily and was known to everybody in this end of the county. He was slow in making promises and taking up new projects but his word as good as a bond and whenever he was for you, he was for you, good and strong. By his death, Rogers has lost a good citizen and his associates a staunch friend." From the Rogers, Benton, Arkansas paper after his death: "Rogers lost one of its best known citizens when F. C. Hawkins dropped dead in the yard of this home, corner of Poplar and 2nd streets, last Thursday morning, April 23. He had just returned from town and had said nothing of feeling worse than usual. He had suffered from heart trouble for some time and an attack last fall had made his friends apprehensive that he might have another and a more serious stroke. Funeral services were held at the home Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock and were conducted by Rev. J.F. Little. At the cemetery, the services were taken in charge by the local order of Masons and the Knight Templars, a number of the latter order being present from Bentonville as well as other friends. Many beautiful flowers were sent."

Census showing Francis Cunningham Hawkins and his friend, Daniel A. Bright, in Wichita, Kansas.

Highlights of Francis Cunningham Hawkins' life: 1. Shortly after birth, moved with parents to Howard County, Indiana where he was raised 2. 1870-Went to Park City, Kansas where he was President of Town Site Company 3. April 1,1872-Arrived from Wichita (with D.A. Bright) and located on land adjacent to town. 4. October 1872-Appointed census taker by the Governor. 5. November 4, 1872-Pawnee County was organized and F.C. Hawkins was appointed sheriff by the governor. 6. October 18, 1873-nomited for sheriff and was elected on November 4. 7. 1876-Nelson Adams was elected as the representative to the state legislature by four votes over F.C. Hawkins. 8. When the History of the State of Kansas by Andreas was published in 1883, there were only six persons in Pawnee County who lived there in 1872. One was F. C. Hawkins. Three accounts say that he had a livery stable in town. From the October 27, 1893 Larned paper, Eagle Optic, "F. Hawkins is in Bentonville, Arkansas." From a 1913 paper: "The first census was taken in October 1872 by Frank Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins afterward became the son-in-law of Mrs. Catherine Miller, who is still a resident of Larned, and Mr. Hawkins and his wife live in Rogers, Ark." 9. 1888-Moved with family to Bentonville, Arkansas where he engaged in the implement and stock business 10. 1900-Moved to Rogers, Benton, Arkansas where he was in the livery and stock business.

Census shows Francis Cunningham Hawkins (Frank Hawkins) living in Larned, Pawnee, Kansas and working as a grocer. He is single and living with James Justice Moss, the son of Frank's sister Elizabeth Hawkins (Moss). Also, a few doors away lives his mother, Magdalene Dillman (Hawkins), widow of Bluford Hawkins and their daughter, Maryette Hawkins, also single.

Census shows Francis Cunningham Hawkins (Frank) living in Arkansas with his family: Lizzy (wife), Frank (son), and Lizzie (daughter).

Also in 1850 Preble Co. Ohio census.

From "Along the Old Trail" -- The first district court was held in the county October 14, Judge W.R. Brown, presiding officer; F.C. Hawkins, sheriff; George Nolan, clerk; Nelson Adams, county attorney; jurors, T. McCarthy, Z.B. Love, W.S. Patton, Mr. Protsman, Mr. Thorpe, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Harnes, Mr. Miller, Henry Booth, John Newton, Mr. Leicham and Paul Curlett. The first criminal case was State of Kansas vs. John Murry, charged with assault with intent to kill and resisting an officer. The case never came to jury. The defendent had shot at Sheriff Hawkins and missed him, and the presumption is, the court thought that a person who could not hit a man the size of Hawkins was perfectly safe to run at large."

Francis Cunningham Hawkins was likely named after Major Francis Alanson Cunningham. Major Cunningham was born in Abbeville district, South Carolina, November 9, 1804. In the year 1826 he came to Eaton, Ohio and commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Jesse Paramore. In the year 1829 he was licensed as a physician and surgeon; and on the seventh day of July of that year he was married to Miss Maria Campbell, only daughter of Captain William Campbell, of Lanier township. In 1833 Dr. Cunningham was appointed clerk pro tem. of the courts of Preble county, afterward receiving the appointment for the regular term of seven years. Subsequently, he was appointed for a second term of seven years, but before its expiration he was elected, in the year 1844 to a seat in Congress as Representative from the Second Congressional district, for the Twenty-ninth Congress. (Note: Francis Cunningham Hawkins was born in 1844, the year of Dr. Francis Cunningham's election to Congress.)

From the November 7, 1940, edition of The Tiller and Toiler, a picture of Francis Cunningham Hawkins, first sheriff of Pawnee county. According to L. W. Webb, who provided the picture, Mr. Hawkins died a number of years ago in Arkansas. His wife was a Larned girl -- Lizzie Miller. Mr. Webb recalls that Mr. Hawkins was a fearless officer but a kindly individual. Also from that edition of The Tiller and Toiler, Frank C. Hawkins, Sr. of Rogers, Ark., writes about his father, Francis Cunningham Hawkins, Pawnee county's first sheriff: "I possess the old revolver which he carried at the time he was sheriff. I was born in Larned and was nine months old when my father moved to Arkansas."

BIOGRAPHIES F.C. HAWKINS, proprietor of livery, sale and feed stable and city auctioneer. He keeps a number one livery. He first came to Park City, Kansas, in 1870, became President of the Town Site Company and engaged in locating immigrants, etc. He came to Larned April 1, 1872, labored on the A., T. & S. F. R. R. and various kinds of labor, some time. He was the first Sheriff of Pawnee County, being elected in the fall of 1872, and, by re-election, held the office four years; also has served as Deputy United States Marshal for the district of Kansas. He arrested the notorious desperado John Murray and other noted criminals during his term of office as Sheriff. He has, like many Western men, followed various occupations, such as the grocery business, dealing in Texas horses etc. and opened the livery business in December, 1882. He was born in Preble County, Ohio, March 24, 1840. His parents moved to Howard County, Indiana, in 1850, where he was raised and lived until he came to Kansas. He is a member of the three orders of Masonry of Larned, Kansas.

From the Kokomo Democrat, March 21, 1872: Mr. F. C. Hawkins started for the West on Monday last. Frank says [unreadable] mahogany voters and malaria are too thick in this county for him. He will permanently settle in Dale City, Kansas, and endeavor to "grow up with the country," and help to make Dale City one of the best places in south-western Kansas. Frank is a good boy, a good citizen, and, like all his kinsmen, from old Bluford down, is a good Democrat. Before leaving he came up to this office and invested a V to secure the DEMOCRAT until Howard shall be redeemed from Republican misrule.

Excerpt from an article written in the 1950's by the daughter of Daniel A. Bright, who came to Pawnee County from Witchita with F.C. Hawkins: "One of the men associated with my father in these business enterprises and a personal friend of long standing was Frank C. Hawkins and when my father came to Pawnee County in 1972 he was accompanied by Mr. Hawkins. When they arrived on April 1 only about half a dozen filings had been made in the county and no one was living on the Larned townsite, nor was there any sign of a habitation. But soon other settlers arrived and with the extension of the Santa Fe railroad to Larned in July the volume so increased by early fall there appeared to be a sufficient number of inhabitants to organize the county. Accordingly, upon petition, Gov. Harvey appointed Frank Hawkins to take the censis for which he was paid $80 by the state legislature."

Also in 1850 Howard Co. Indiana census.