Hawley, Illinois

N. C. Hawley. In 1837, June 6, Gideon and Elizabeth Hawley, while residing in this township, had born unto them a son, Norman C, the subject of this sketch. His father was a native of Vermont, and his mother, Elizabeth (Caldwell) Hawley, was born in Kentucky. This couple came to the State in 1819, and were among the earliest settlers in Tazewell county. Mr. H. received his education in the common schools. Jubilee -College, Peoria, and Wesleyan University, Bloomington. He has been quite successful in life, and now owns one thousand acres of land, much of which is underlaid with a fine vein of coal, which he is working. April 1, 1867, he married Miss Mary E. Martin, of Logan county. Their children number four - James M., Gideon L., Prairie Ellen and Freddie S. Politically Mr. H. may be found with the Republican party. Post-office, Pekin.

Passage source: History of Tazewell County, Illinois ; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws, published 1879.

James P. Martin, retired farmer, is worthy a notice in this volume. His generosity and public spirit in all worthy matters are unquestioned. He was born in the county of Donegal, Ireland, Sept. 15, 1804. His father was Alexander Martin and Avas born in the same county in 1782 ; but little is known of his early life. He was raised a farmer-boy and on attaining his majority he was united in marriage with Miss Mary McCorkle. She was born in the same county, and was a daughter of James McCorkle. There were born of this marriage nine children, four of whom grew to mature years : AVilliam, deceased ; Alexander K., married Miss Hoblett, of Logan county; Mary A. married David Gibbs, and now a resident of Iowa. Alexander Martin, who is deceased, was a man of unusual force of character and energy ; he crossed the Atlantic and landed in Philadelphia, from where, with his family, he proceedad to Bedford county and there passed the remainder of his life, as also did his wife. Our subject, James P., received a good common school education, and at the age of 25 was united in marriage with Miss Ellen Skeen, of Westmoreland county. Pa. Previous to his marriage, he learned the trade of weaver, and for a while worked at this vocation in Pa. and Ohio. He then turned his attention to farming, and in 1845 settled in Logan Co., 111., where he purchased a farm. He resided there till 1850, when he located upon the Delavan Prairie in this county, where he purchased land at from 90 cts. to $30 per acre, amounting in all to 1100 acres. This, by the exercise of unusual energy, he brought to a high state of cultivation, and planted 25 miles of hedge fence, which is still in a thriving condition. For many years he was the largest hedge-grower in the State, and took a just and an especial pride in advancing and improving the agricultural districts of Tazewell county. He bent his powerful energies to the accomplishment of this one laudable object and well did he succeed. His life-work speaks in language both stronger and more fitting than we can express in words. Eight children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Martin, five of of whom grew to maturity ; William H., married Miss Jane Quinsenberry ; Thomas A., married Miss Alice Mountjoy, and is now a resident of Kansas ; James A., married Caroline Hoblett ; George B., married Matilda Merrill, and now lives in Missouri; Mary E., married Mr. Hawley, a prominent farmer of this township. In 1862 Mr. M. made an equal division of his pr()})erty among his children, and after a life of great activity and unusual success, determined to rest from labor, as consistent with his wealth and time of life and spend the remainder of his days in quietude. At present he is living with his son-in-law% Norman C. Hawley, a man who is prominently identified with the interests and wellfare of Tazewell county and of whom we speak elsewhere in this volume. In drawing this sketch to a close we cannot refrain from referring to Mrs. M. as a pioneer wife aud mother. She was born in Penn. in 1811, and is a fine type of the pioneer woman. She has been an ernest worker in the Christian Church for nearly 40 years. She was formerly a member of the Presbyterian Chnrch. Mr. Martin is also a consistant member of that Church and is respected and esteemed by all who know him. There are but few men living in the county who have done more to advance its interests than Mr. James P. Martin. The very fact of his accumulating in a short life time such a vast property as he has is the best evidence in the world of a well spent life. It is a source of pleasure for the biographer to meditate upon a life thus useful and passed, that while he did much good in his strong and vigorous manhood and while in the decline of life he still, by example and precept, is found battling for the right his works will live long after the last sad rites have been paid him by those who loved and esteemed him life, and will not forget to honor his memory when he is no longer in their midst. Now, in the evening of life, as both Mr. M. and his good wife are beckoned to that brighter and better land, we realize that the hand of the diligent maketh rich, and the happiness of the Christian is worthy emulation. AVe give their portraits in this work.

Passage source: History of Tazewell County, Illinois ; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws, published 1879.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Cincinnati Township - it names this place 1 more 1 time.