Charles A. Hawley

Charles A. Hawley, proprietor of the Shelby sawmills, traces his ancestors back eight generations - to the year 1608. Joseph was born in Englend, in 1603; was recorder in the Stratford Church, Conn., in the year 1661; died in 1690. His son, Samuel Sr., born at Stratford, Conn., in 1647; died August 24, 1734. His son Samuel Jr., born at Derby, Conn., May 14, 1674; died; June 14, 1774 - 100 years and one month old. His son Obadiah, was born at Roxbury, Conn., February 3, 1680; died August 7, 1751. His son, Richard, Sr., no record of the date of his birth, or date of his death. His son, Richard, Jr., born at Salisbury, Conn., February 15, 1777; died January 12, 1828. His son Ebenezer W., born in Connecticut, December 16, 1802; died in New York City, July 26, 1850; buried at Kingston, N.Y. His son Charles A., born at Bridgeport, Addison Co., Vt., May 22, 1831. He has three sons now living - Samuel F., born in Chicago, Ill., October 2, 1863; Edwin W., born January 17, 1869, at Park Ridge, Cook Co., Ill., Joseph E. R., boarn at Park Ridge, Cook Co., Ill., September 9, 1871. Charles A. was the son of a hatter, the oldest of six children. His mother died March, 1843, before he was twlve years old. The five children younger than himself died, one after another, commencing with the youngest. His eldest brother, Samuel F., died April, 1876. His father, Ebenezer W., emigrated to St. Lawrence County, N.Y., in January 1843. Charles A. engaged himself (with his father's consent) to a farmer, at the age of eleven, for three years, for his board, clothing and three months' schooling each Winter. At the end of that contract, he hired out to the same man, five Summer-months, at $4 per month. At the end of that contract, he worked for different farmers, until nearly seventeen; then engaged himself to a farmer four years, to receive his board, clothing and three months' schooling each winter, and $100. He staid with him four years, got his schooling and $96 worth of clothing, but not the $100. Rented the man's farm one year. At the end of the year, when twenty-two years old, started for Skaneateles, N.Y., with $12.52; worked for farmers Summers, taught school Winters, for two years, and attended school at Auburn Academy one term in the Fall. He married Miss Electa E. Weaver, a young lady very highly esteemed, of the Edwards stock, at Skaneateles, March 21, 1855. Emigrated to Chicago fifteen days after he was married. His wife followed him to chicago, arriving September 7. Commencing there with nothing, he worked in a hardwood lumberyard in Chicago for two years. He bought a farm of 200 acres, sixteen miles from chicago, at $40 per acre, in the Spring of 1857, paying $1,000 down, contracting to pay $7,000 in installments. That was the first and only contract he ever made, that he did not fill (some time, perhaps, but not within the time specified, but in every instance filled it). He worked the farm two years; then the hard times of 1857 (a year always to be remembered by western business men) finished him. He gave up the farm and the $1,000 for the use of the farm two years; and sent his wife and one child to her parents. Hired out to Henry N. Holden, piling lumber at $1 per day, and board himself; and engaged as collector, janitor and usher of Plymouth Congregational Church. In four months sent for his wife, and rented a house in chicago. He struggled on through the hard times following 1857. Laborer and clerk in a hardwood lumberyard; lumber inspector, lumber commissioner, etc., until the fire, October 9, 1871, which burned so much of Chicago, and burned all he had in Chicago - lumber, books, accounts, and papers of all kinds; everything he had, except his humble home at Park Ridge, Cook Co., Ill. Suffice it to say, that during the good times (for lumbermen) following the fire of 1871, until the Fall of 1873, when Jay, Cook & Co., failed, followed by the failure of very many others, he became manager and part owner of the Shelby sawmill, August 27, 1873. The winter of 1874 and 1875 he bought it, and, as he supposed, held a good title, except $800, due to Joseph Clark, of West Geneva, Van Buren Co., Mich.; but within a year he had to pay a chattel mortgage of $415. In June 1878, paid $960, suit in chancery, favor of Hawley, Thorne & Co., besides about $1,000 in fighting off the suit over four years. September 1878, put in new boilers (the old ones parted), costing $750, besides about $800 putting them in and repairing the mill. April 16, 1879, the mill blew into thousands of atoms, by the explosion of the new boilers, killing the engineer, James Ryder, and injuring the life E.C. Hurd; slightly injuring many others. Every casting, shaft and wheel made of iron, was destroyed, except the sawframe and carriage. He rebuilt the mill, commencing to saw twenty-one days after he commenced tearing away the old mill. The first cost of the new machinery was $1,080, besides about as much more to rebuild the mill. This money, $960, $750, and $1,680, was procurred of Henry H. Holden, of Chicago, secured by having the title in his own name, from the court of chancery, in 1878. He also, from year to year, furnished money to stock it, in face of a declining market every year. As soon as Mr. Holden is reimbursed, the title of all the mill property is to be vested in him. To keep from going into bankruptcy during those years of low prices, bad Winters, and big interest, and constant law suits, and the above-mentioned misfortunes, from the year 1874 (following Jay Cook's failure) until 1880 he has used on his home property at Park Ridge, Ill., besides the assistance from Mr. Holden. As soon as he has piad Mr. Holden he will own the mill property, including about thirty lots, store and two lots, stock, tools, teams, etc., and a farm of 120 acres adjoining the village. He expects always to make Shelby his home. He has done much to facilitate the growth of Shelby, especially the first years of its growth. He trusted every man to lumber that wanted to build. Up to 1879 he was the only man that bought forest products (mostly logs and last blocks). Always made a practice of giving employment to every man that applied, if he lived in Shelby. Donating always when called upon (except to Fourth of July celebrations). A very genial, kind, affectionate man, he has one failing - lacking courage to dun the men he trusted. An active member of the Congregational Church, since seventeen years of age. Donating to the erection of Plymouth Church, at Chicago, Congregational Church, at Park Ridge, Ill., and the Congregational and Methodist Episcopal Churches, at Shelby. He is a radical Republican, and Temperance man from his youth up.