B. Frank Hawkins
The Hawkins family lias been represented in Greene county since the year 1814, when Mounce Hawkins, an adventurous lad of seventeen and a cousin of David Crockett, the famous scout and explorer, left his home in the valley of the Shenandoah, in Virginia, and came out here to put in his lot with the hardy settlers who had preceded him into this fair valley of the Little Miami, Mounce Hawkins was born in 1797. In Virginia he married Mary Allen, who also was born in that state, a daughter of Davis and Elizabeth (Antrim) Allen, who came over here and settled in Xenia township, where Davis Allen bought a tract of one thousand acres of land, paying for the same the sum of five thousand dollars. Mounce Hawkins became interested with his father-in-law in the development of that tract and in time became a well-to-do landowner. He died in 1834 and was buried at Xenia.
Reuben Hawkins, son of Mounce and Mary (Allen) Hawkins grew up on that farm and in turn became a farmer on his own account, after his marriage moving from the old home place to a farm on what had come to be known as the Hawkins road, where he established his home and there spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring on September 15, 1870. He was a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church at Xenia. Reared a Democrat, he later espoused the cause of the Republican party and for some time served as director of schools in his local district. His widow survived him for nearly twenty-five years, her death occurring in 1894 and her body was laid beside that of her husband in Woodland cemetery at Xenia. She was born, Lydia Fallis, in the neighboring county of Clinton, a daughter of Jonathan Fallis, who later became a resident of Greene county. Upon coming up here from Clinton county Jonathan Fallis settled in Xenia township, but later moved to a farm in the East Point neighborhood in Cedarville township. Afterward he purchased a tract of land below Clifton and there erected what for years was known as the Fallis mill, which he operated for some years, at the end of which time he disposed of his interests in this county and moved to Indiana, becoming there engaged in the lumber business and in the flour-milling business at Attica, from which place he moved to Dowagiac, Michigan, where his last days were spent, his death occurring there at the age of eighty-four years.
To Reuben and Lydia (Fallis) Hawkins were born six children, of whom the subject of this biographical sketch is now the only survivor, the others having been Joseph G., Mary E., Hannah L., who died at the age of fifteen years, Sarah E., who died at the age of twenty-three, and James F., who died in infancy. Joseph G. Hawkins enlisted his services as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War and was killed at the battle of the Wilderness, he then being but twenty years of age. Mary E. Hawkins married Preston Machael and continued to make her home on the old home place, where she died in March, 1901. She was the mother of three children, Jessie, who married Earl Butt, a Xenia township farmer; Harry, unmarried, who makes his home with Mr. and Mrs. Butt, and Robert, deceased.
B. Frank Hawkins, eldest son of Reuben and Lydia (Fallis) Hawkins, was born on December 12, 1841, and is living in the brick house which his uncle erected on the home place. He received his schooling in the school of district No. 1, Xenia township, the school house there having been erected on land donated for that purpose by his grandfather, Mounce Hawkins. In time he assumed the management of the home place, gradually relieving his father of the responsibility of farm management, and still owns an interest in the Reuben Hawkins estate, which remains undivided. In addition to this interest, Mr. Hawkins is also the owner of several other farms in Xenia township and in Beavercreek township and has long given considerable attention to the raising of live stock, in addition to his general farming operations. Politically, Mr. Hawkins is a Republican. His home is on the old Ankeny Mill road, now the Fair Grounds road, rural mail route No. 10 out of Xenia.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918