Mr. Hawkins is one of our Senators from the Second district, composed of the counties of Marshall, Wetzell and Marion, and is a resident of the latter, where he has lived for fifty years.

He was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, and is sixty-five years of age, though his appearance would make him not more than forty-five or fifty. He is about the medium stature, heavy set, with indications of great muscular serength [sic] in earlier life, and for a man of his age is quite active and full of life. His hair is short, tinged with grey, and inclined to curl; his head is round and not very large; eyes small, dark and piercing; overhanging eye brows; nose small and sharp with a Roman curve; mouth small and sunken, which is the only indication of his age; chin sharp and projecting; his face would be called sharp; wears no whiskers, and keeps a clean shaved face. His eye indicates a sharp trader, as he is. He was undoubtedly a good-looking man in his youth, and traces of it still remain.:He has a vacant, cunning caste of countenance, talks but little, and makes no speeches, he listens attentively, and is ever watchful of what is being done, and seems to pay remarkable attention to whatever interests his people and will no doubt serve them faithfully and honestly, to the best of his ability.

He dresses very well, usually in black broad-cloth, but sometimes during the hot weather in light striped vest and pants, and always makes a favorable impression in regard to his personal appearance.

The family to which he belongs is long-lived. His father removed to Marion county 50 years ago, and died at the age of 90. The subject of this sketch raised 11 children, all of whom are how living except one, who died in the United States army. Mr. Hawkins began life a poor man, not worth a dollar, having indeed, as I have been credibly informed; borrowed two dollars to pay the preacher when he was married in 1819. But since that time he has prospered in the world, and become the owner of 3,000 acres of valuable land. He is worth to day sixty or seventy thousand dollars, a great deal of which he made by speculations in cattle and other stock, by means of which he circulated a great deal of money through the county.

He has been a director of the Fairmont Bank ever since its organization, except one year, was a Justice in Marion county for seven or eight years, and was presiding justice one year.

He has been an old line Whig; is now an unconditional Union man. He is a member of the Committee on Banks and Corporations and on Privileges and Elections.

Biographies of the First West Virginia Legislature