David F. Hawk was born in Sugar Creek township, Hancock county, Indiana, July 25, 1849, a son of James C. and Mary J. (McNamee) Hawk. James C. Hawk was born in Brown county, Ohio, September 16,1824, the son of Henry and Susan (Flaugher) Hawk. Henry Hawk was born on July 13, 1786, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and Susan Flaugher was born at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1788. Henry Hawk was the son of John Hawk, who was born in Germany. John Hawk, with his parents, settled in Washington county. He was the son of John Hawk, Sr. Both he and his wife died in Washington county, Pennsylvania. John Hawk, Jr., the eldest of the sons, enlisted in Capt. William Berryhill's Company of the Cumberland Brigade of the Pennsylvania Militia and served until the close of the war. He was with Washington at Valley Forge and was present at the surrender of the British at Yorktown. David F. Hawk, the subject of this sketch, still has in his possession the army rifle which his great-grandfather carried in the Revolutionary War. This gun was also carried by his grandfather, Henry Hawk, in the War of 1812. John Hawk, Jr., after the Revolution, was married and migrated to Mason county, Kentucky, where he lived for twelve years. He was there joined by his brother Samuel, and they together moved to Brown county, Ohio, where they settled and died about 1840. It was there that Henry Hawk spent the remainder of his youth. It was there that he was married to Susan Flaugher, the youngest child of Adam Flaugher and wife, both natives of Germany. After his marriage Henry Hawk farmed in Brown county, Ohio, until 1832, when he came to Hancock county, Indiana, and settled one mile west of Greenfield where he lived for a year. He then entered one hundred and sixty acres of land six miles west of Greenfield and one mile south of the National road. Here Henry Hawk, the grandfather of the subject of our sketch, built a large log house, containing two large rooms and a porch. He also built a large hog barn and here in the wilderness made a home. In addition to being a good farmer, he was an expert weaver and wagon maker and it is said he could "stock" a plow as quick as a blacksmith could make the iron work and it is said of him that not the least of his accomplishments was the fact that he could turn a "hand-spring" at the age of sixty. He died at the age of seventy-seven years in September, 1863.

The father of the subject of this sketch, James C. Hawk, was the youngest son of Henry Hawk and he was born in Brown county, Ohio, and in his ninth year he came with his parents to Hancock county, Indiana. This was about 1832. At this time the National road was just being built. James C. Hawk spent the remainder of his childhood and youth on the homestead of his father in Sugar Creek township. Here he received his early education and later taught school for three years, having received his first certificate to teach from Capt. Reuben A. Riley, who was the father of James Whitcomb Riley, Indiana's honored poet. James C. Hawk was married in 1847 at the age of twenty-three years to Mary Jane McNamee, who was born near Ironton, Ohio, September 16, 1826, and who was the daughter of David and Catherine (Townsend) McNamee. They came to Hancock county from Ohio in 1834 and settled in Sugar Creek township, seven miles east of Greenfield, where they lived and died. Mary Jane McNamee was one of two children, the other a brother, Benjamin.

James C. Hawk, after his marriage, bought forty acres on the east of the home place which had on it a log house that had been built by his brother. Here he took up his residence. He later bought forty acres more one-half mile south. Then after his father's death he bought the old home place which gave him one hundred and twenty acres. In 1854 he built a frame house, then in 1876 he built a large frame house of imposing appearance containing seven rooms at a cost of twenty-four hundred dollars. It was here he spent the remainder of his life, dying on June 10, 1904, at the age of nearly ninety-one years. His wife, Mary Jane, preceded him by nine years, she died on March 28, 1895. The were the parents of the following children: David F., who is the subject of this sketch; Annie Elizabeth, Henry L., Benjamin, who died at the age of eight years; Catherine N., Eldoro, George O., and Charles H., all living except Benjamin.

David F. Hawk was born on the old home place in the log house where his father first began housekeeping. Here he spent his childhood and youth and attended the "Swamp" School. It was a log school house and was also used by the Methodists for their church and Sunday school. It was here that James C. Hawk taught school in his early days and David F. Hawk's father was his first teacher. After finishing school David F. Hawk helped his father on the farm until he was twenty-one years of age and then he taught school for two years and studied law for a few months and then entered the dry goods business with Presley Guyman at Greenfield. A year later he sold out and returned to the home farm and the next winter taught school. On May 23, 1877, he was married to Eliza J. Strubbe, who was born in Marion county, near Cumberland, October 31, 1856. She was the daughter of Herman H. and Caroline (Reissner) Strubbe, both natives of Germany. Herman H. Strubbe was born in Hanover, Germany, November 8, 1821, and immigrated to Pittsburgh, where he remained for a few years and where he was married on May 6, 1852, to Caroline Reissner. She was born on February 5, 1823, in Germany. Herman H. Strubbe was a cabinet-maker by trade but was employed as a bookkeeper in Pittsburgh and in Marion county he followed saw-milling and farming until his death, which occurred on August 2, 1888. His wife had died on October 17, 1877. They were the parents of eight children, four of whom died in infancy; David G., Eliza J., Carrie R. and Emma H. are living.

David F. Hawk, after his marriage, bought forty acres from Benjamin Hudson, adjoining the home place, and then farmed with his father for several years. Eight years after his marriage he bought sixty acres one half-mile north of New Palestine in Sugar Creek township and from time to time he added to this farm until at the present time he has over two hundred acres, practically all in one body. His farm is improved with a good eight-room residence and a fine barn and other buildings in keeping with the surroundings. He is the father of the following children: Dr. Edgar A., resides at Finly, Indiana; Mary C., at home; James H., Chester L., Mable J., wife of Ernest F. Kottlowski; David F., who died at the age of eleven years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hawk are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Hawk is also a member of New Palestine Lodge No. 404, Free and Accepted Masons. In this order has filled all the chairs. He is a member of the chapter, Royal Arch Masons, in Greenfield. He is a Republican in politics and one of Hancock count's and Sugar Creek township's most substantial citizens.

Transcribed from History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman, B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Page 1027-1030.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI October 31, 2001.

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