Hawken, Samuel

Name	Town	State	From	To
Hawken, Samuel		Maryland		1812
Hawken, Samuel	Xenia	Ohio	1813	1822
Hawken, Samuel	St. Louis	Missouri	1822	1859
Hawken, Samuel	Auraria / Denver	Colorado	1859	1861
Hawken, Samuel	St. Louis	Missouri	1861	1884

Patent	Date	Remarks

Contract	for

Product
One of the Hawkens (Hachen) Family of gunsmiths. Samuel Hawkens was born October 26, 1892. He died on May 8, 1884 in St. Louis. His grave is at Bellefontaine Cemetery. He was married to Martha Ritchey, born in Mercersberg, Pennsylvania, born on August 16, 1797 and died in St. Louis April 3, 1864. He served in the Maryland miliia during the War of 1812. After the War he moved to Xenia, Ohio and established his own gun shop. In 1822 he joined his brother Jacob in St. Louis, where he set up his own gun business. Samuel and Jacob Hawkens became partners when St. Louis gunsmith James Lakenan died in 1825. Jacob Hawkens and James Lakenan were partners as of 1818. The brothers were not only gunsmiths. Invoices and other records show that his shop was rather a hardware shop with gun repair. Tools and all sort items could be purchased. E.g. axes, tomahawks, fire steels, iron arrow points, gun worms. Even shoeing horses was provided. Concerning guns, mainly restocking, repairs and cleaning was a part of their activities until 1848 when the manufacture of guns became their main business. The earliest record of a Hawken Rifle is a gun made by Samuel Hawkens for General Ashley in 1823. During the War of 1812 Ashley was Lieutenant Colonel. Hawkens sales to the American Fur Company from the 1820's do not indicate rifles until 1831 when the American Fur Company ordered 18 rifles. The famous Hawken Rifles are stamped S.HAWKEN and Saint Louis therefore, they must have been made after the death of his brother in 1849. In the same year, the business center of St. Louis burned down. Samuel Hawken would have helped St. Louis to rebuild. The Hawken rifle was bore .50 to .55 caliber, half stock, stamped S.HAWKEN, St. Louis. Some were found double stamped or overstamped. Why is unknown. Maybe second quality guns. Hawkens production was very small. It is believed 100 to 120 a year with a peak production of about 200 during the 1849 Gold Rush. By 1859, his health failed, Samuel Hawken traveled to Pike's Peak and sold guns in Denver, Colorado for two years. He was back in St. Louis in 1861 where he had a house in Webster Groves, Missouri. Rocky Mountain News, February 15, 1860: "Sam Hawken for the past thirty-seven years engaged in the manufacture of the Rocky Mountain Rifle in Saint Louis would respectfully say to the citizens of Denver, Auroria, and his old mountain friends that he has established himself in the gun business on Eerry Street, between Fourth and Fifth next to Jones and Cartwrights, Auroria is prepared to manufacture his style of rifles to order. Repairing done at short notice." In the "Larimer Reminiscences" the reporter recalls having seen in Hawken's Auroria Shop the first rifle manufactured in the Colorado Territory. The bbl. marking S. Hawken, Auroria J.T, is described. The Hawken Shop was apparently continued for some time after Sam's departure in 1861, to return to Saint Louis. Around 1855 William Hawken, Samuel's son and Tristam Cambell operated the Hawken shop for about one year. William continued until 1860 (when he would have had joined his father in Colorado). The shop became owned by William Watt and William Bennett. In 1865 J.P. Gemmer bought the shop and stayed in busiess until late 1870's. Gemmer stamped guns as Hawkens even when no Hawken was no longer involved with the shop. A .42 caliber, half stock rifle overstamped S.HAWKEN, St. Louis is known. This guns is more resembling to a J.P. Gemmer, St. Louis gun. Hawken's factory in the 1860s Union Fire Company No. 2. Union Fire Company became the second company to form in St. Louis. Samuel Hawken founded Union in 1832 and became incorporated in February of 1837.

Product

One of the Hawkens (Hachen) Family of gunsmiths.

Samuel Hawkens was born October 26, 1892. He died on May 8, 1884 in St. Louis. His grave is at Bellefontaine Cemetery. He was married to Martha Ritchey, born in Mercersberg, Pennsylvania, born on August 16, 1797 and died in St. Louis April 3, 1864.

He served in the Maryland miliia during the War of 1812. After the War he moved to Xenia, Ohio and established his own gun shop.

In 1822 he joined his brother Jacob in St. Louis, where he set up his own gun business. Samuel and Jacob Hawkens became partners when St. Louis gunsmith James Lakenan died in 1825. Jacob Hawkens and James Lakenan were partners as of 1818.

The brothers were not only gunsmiths. Invoices and other records show that his shop was rather a hardware shop with gun repair. Tools and all sort items could be purchased. E.g. axes, tomahawks, fire steels, iron arrow points, gun worms. Even shoeing horses was provided. Concerning guns, mainly restocking, repairs and cleaning was a part of their activities until 1848 when the manufacture of guns became their main business.

The earliest record of a Hawken Rifle is a gun made by Samuel Hawkens for General Ashley in 1823. During the War of 1812 Ashley was Lieutenant Colonel.

Hawkens sales to the American Fur Company from the 1820's do not indicate rifles until 1831 when the American Fur Company ordered 18 rifles.

The famous Hawken Rifles are stamped S.HAWKEN and Saint Louis therefore, they must have been made after the death of his brother in 1849. In the same year, the business center of St. Louis burned down. Samuel Hawken would have helped St. Louis to rebuild.

The Hawken rifle was bore .50 to .55 caliber, half stock, stamped S.HAWKEN, St. Louis. Some were found double stamped or overstamped. Why is unknown. Maybe second quality guns.

Hawkens production was very small. It is believed 100 to 120 a year with a peak production of about 200 during the 1849 Gold Rush.

By 1859, his health failed, Samuel Hawken traveled to Pike's Peak and sold guns in Denver, Colorado for two years. He was back in St. Louis in 1861 where he had a house in Webster Groves, Missouri.

Rocky Mountain News, February 15, 1860:

"Sam Hawken for the past thirty-seven years engaged in the manufacture of the Rocky Mountain Rifle in Saint Louis would respectfully say to the citizens of Denver, Auroria, and his old mountain friends that he has established himself in the gun business on Eerry Street, between Fourth and Fifth next to Jones and Cartwrights, Auroria is prepared to manufacture his style of rifles to order. Repairing done at short notice."

In the "Larimer Reminiscences" the reporter recalls having seen in Hawken's Auroria Shop the first rifle manufactured in the Colorado Territory. The bbl. marking S. Hawken, Auroria J.T, is described.

The Hawken Shop was apparently continued for some time after Sam's departure in 1861, to return to Saint Louis.

Around 1855 William Hawken, Samuel's son and Tristam Cambell operated the Hawken shop for about one year. William continued until 1860 (when he would have had joined his father in Colorado). The shop became owned by William Watt and William Bennett. In 1865 J.P. Gemmer bought the shop and stayed in busiess until late 1870's. Gemmer stamped guns as Hawkens even when no Hawken was no longer involved with the shop.

A .42 caliber, half stock rifle overstamped S.HAWKEN, St. Louis is known. This guns is more resembling to a J.P. Gemmer, St. Louis gun.

Hawken's factory in the 1860s

Union Fire Company No. 2. Union Fire Company became the second company to form in St. Louis. Samuel Hawken founded Union in 1832 and became incorporated in February of 1837.