The Burlington Independent

Friday, May 26, 1893

Died.

Hawes - At Aliceville, Kansas May 22, 1893, from blood poisoning.  John D. Hawes; aged 57 years, 10 months, and 6 days.

William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas (Anderson county), part 8

The first hay press was established in 1881, by J.D. Hawes.

J. D. HAWES, dealer in hay, grain, farm and mill products and live-stock, Westphalia, Kan., was born in Sherman, Fairfield Co., Conn., July 17, 1835. When quite young took charge of his father's large dairy, shipping and selling the product in New York City. In 1853 he moved to Bradford, Chickasaw Co., Iowa, and was commissioned by Governor Grimes as a notary public,and engaged in the banking and real estate business. In 1858 he married Miss F. M., the youngest daughter of Colonel Alvard Fuller, and soon after moved to East Temple, where milling and real estate speculation occupied his attention until the breaking out of the Rebellion, when he was conscripted into the Rebel service, but escaped to the Union lines in Kentucky; received a recruiting commission and was also sutler for the First East Tennessee Cavalry, Col. Robert Johnson. He also opened a wholesale store at 46 Public Square, Nashville, Tenn., from which he supplied a large number of sutlers, keeping up his stock, shipping from Cincinnati, Ohio, by the steamboat load. His attention was also turned to photographing and Harper's and Leslie's
monthlies are indebted to him for many of their views of battle scenes and historical localities. He employed twenty-seven artists, and there is scarce a Union soldier that does not remember the gallery of the Cumberland and the many photograph tents of Hawes Brothers. In 1864 he turned his attention to railroading and was for twelve years in the employ of the A. & M. Railroad,
Missouri Pacific and other lines as conductor. It was during this period that he conducted a large commission house in Cincinnati, keeping his brother, G. W. Hawes, in charge of same. In 1876 he moved to Kansas. Purchased a large tract of land and tried his hand at farming. This proved to be too slow to suit his high pressure ideas, and he engaged in baling and shipping hay and general merchandise at Leloup. Soon after selling out to Purdy & Scott, he entered the service of the Hannibal & St. Joe Railroad as conductor, but after a year resigned and put in steam hay presses at Colony, Iola, Humboldt, Mount Ida, and Westphalia. Was elected President of the Valley Hay Company, a corporation that for a season greatly influenced the hay and grain trade in Southern Kansas, and giving the towns where his presses were located new life and energy. After the season of 1881 he disposed of all interest except in the presses and mills at Westphalia, where he is still doing a large business as indicated above, furnishing employment to from 30 to 300 men and paying the farmers of this and adjoining counties over $100,000 per annum.