Santa
Clara County
Biographies
MAJOR
WILLIAM G. HAWLEY
MAJOR WILLIAM G. HAWLEY. The prominence of Major William G. Hawley is
not due to the fact that he is now serving as postmaster of the city of San
Jose – though the incumbency of that office would necessarily number him among
the representative men of the community – but to the public services which have
marked his citizenship since his location in the western state. He has been a factor in the material
development of the city through his association with its real estate interests
since 1886, and has as well contributed to the educational advancement, the
promotion of brotherhood organizations, the moral support of the community, and
added to the social life by personal characteristics which have won for him the
highest regard of his fellow townsmen.
A native of Leicester, England, Major
William G. Hawley was born June 16, 1846, a son of William, also a
native of that country, and who died there in 1856, after an active life spent
as an architect and builder. His mother,
Elizabeth, was born in England also and died in Lanesboro, Minn., in 1888. Of the eight children in the family of his
parents Major Hawley was the fifth in order of birth. In July, 1861, he came to America and located
in Milwaukee, Wis., later making his home on a farm near North Prairie, until
1863, when he enlisted in the Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. On account of his youth his mother exercised
her authority and he was dropped from the list.
November 28, 1864, he was once more enrolled as a soldier for
services in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company A., in the
Twenty-eighth Wisconsin Regiment which was stationed at Little Rock, Ark. He remained in service until the close of the
war, being mustered out in September, 1865, in Madison, Wis. Having some knowledge of commercial life he
then engaged as a bookkeeper in the city of Milwaukee, and remained until 1868,
when he went to Manistee, Mich., and continued in the same occupation in a
hardware store, engaging in 1872 in the real estate business in the same
city. After one year he removed to
Reedsburg, Wis., and continued in the real estate business, where he secured a
lucrative custom and established himself in the public life of the city. While a resident of Reedsburg he organized
the H. A. Tator Post No. 13, G. A. R.,
and acted as its first senior vice commander and its second commander. He also served as justice of the peace for
nine years, town treasurer for two years, and was a member of the town board
for one year. In 1883, he decided to
locate on the Pacific slope, and accordingly came to California and engaged in
the insurance business in Hanford, Kings county, for a
period of three years. Coming to San
Jose in 1886 he has since made this city his home, giving his influence
heartily toward the promotion of all measures calculated to advance the public
welfare. He engaged in the real estate
business until February, 1899, when he was appointed by President McKinley to
the office of postmaster of San Jose.
The duties of the office were efficiently discharged by him until
February, 1903, four years later, when he was reappointed by President
Roosevelt, and is now engaged in the office where his faithful and thorough
discharge of duties has won for him the continued approbation of the citizens
of the community.
In California Major Hawley was first a
member of McPherson Post No. 51, in Hanford, later becoming identified with
George H. Thomas Post No. 2, in San Francisco; he is now an active member
of John A. Dix Post No. 42, of which he is past commander. He has served as aide de camp on the Department
Commander’s staff, and also on the Council of Administration; he has served
twice as aid de camp on the staff of the National Commander-in-Chief. In May, 1902, he was elected department
commander of California and Nevada, serving one term until May of the following
year. He was then presented with a
beautiful and valuable loving cup as a token of the love and esteem in which he
was held by his comrades for his faithful services. Fraternally Major Hawley was made a Mason in
March, 1868, and is now a member of San Jose Lodge No. 10, A. F. & A. M.;
Howard Chapter No. 14, of San Jose; San Jose Commandery No. 10.
The major was married in Racine, Wis.,
to Miss Carrie A. Evarts, of Rochester, N.Y., a second cousin of William M.
Evarts, the renowned politician. They
are the parents of two sons:
Frederick W., who was born January 8, 1870, is engaged in the
jewelry business in this city; and George Archer, who was born July 28,
1871, is in the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company at Tucson,
Ariz. In his political preferment always
a stanch[sic] and straightforward Republican, Major
Hawley has given his best efforts toward the advancement of the principles he
endorses. In the commercial life of San
Jose he is also very active, being ex-president of the Board of Trade, of which
he is still a member. While in Hanford
he served one term as school director, during which time the school house was
built, and has also served one term as school director in San Jose. A public service of no little moment was the
influence he exerted which closed the Margareta Gap, thus making a through line
for the Coast division of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
[Inserted by D.
Toole.]
MAJOR
WILLIAM G. HAWLEY
1912
Sep 6, Santa Cruz Evening News, P6, Santa Cruz, California
Death
of San Jose Postmaster
San
Jose – Major W. G. Hawley, for thirteen years postmaster at San Jose, died at
his home yesterday afternoon after a lingering illness. Former Mayor George D. Worswick,
county treasurer; E. W. Conant, assistant postmaster; I. A. Ball, Mayor Thomas
Monahan and Mrs. Hawley, the widow, are mentioned for the office.
1912
Sep 7, San Francisco Chronicle, P3, San Francisco, California
All
Garden City Pays Honors to Dead Postmaster
Major
Hawley is Carried to His Final Resting Place
Special
Dispatch to the “Chronicle”
San
Jose, September 5 – On orders received from the Postoffice
Department at Washington this morning the San Jose Postoffice
was closed this afternoon from 1 o’clock to 4:30 during the funeral of the late
Major W G. Hawley, who died after a lingering illness on Wednesday. All the employes of
the Postoffice attended the funeral services, which
were conducted by the Masons at Masonic Temple, in a body. I. A. Ball, assistant postmaster, was
appointed acting Postmaster by the sureties of the late Major Hawley today and
will act in that capacity until the appointment and qualification of a
successor to the late Postmaster. It is
said no appointment will be made for some time.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1228-1229. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Donna Toole.