HAWKINS “HAWK” FERRELL STEELE
Generation V
First Child of Ralph A. and Levicy (Ferrell) Steele
Of Logan County West Virginia
From original research of Dodie E. Browning Copyright 1997-1998 all rights reserved.
Hawkins Ferrell Steele was born in Tazewell County Virginia, 29 July 1821. He moved
to Logan County (W)VA circa 1840 when he was about nineteen years old. He was
married three times. He first married Catherine Ellis, daughter of Evan and Margaret Ellis
of Logan County WV, by whom he had several children.
Hawkins “Hawk” Steele lived in Logan County for many years on Cow Creek, which is
near present day Omar, West Virginia. In November 1851, he purchased 48 acres along
with Edmond Browning, Jr. By 1860, “Hawk” had moved his family to Roxalana, (West)
Virginia in Roane County . He enlisted in the Confederate Army the first time in the 60th
Va. Infantry (Wise Legion) in Charleston, (W) VA, 20 July 1861. He was discharged at
Princeton on 16 July 1862 and re-enlisted at Princeton in 1862. According to his service
records he was 5’11″ tall, had dark hair, medium complexion and gray eyes. He was
hospitalized at CSA Gen. Military Hospital #4, Wilmington, NC, for what appeared to be
typhoid fever. He was granted amnesty after taking a loyalty oath in April 1865.
According to the 1850 Logan County Census records, Hawkins Steele had three children
by his first wife:
1. Ralph, b. 1843 – Enlisted in Confederate Army in Princeton (W) VA. on 11 December
1862 at age twenty. He died at Mt. Jackson, Virginia on 30 August, 1864.
2. Margaret, b. May 1845, married 10 Feb.1868 in Roane County WV, Albert M
Hersberger.
3. Evan Ellis Steele, b. 1849 married 4 Dec 1870 in Roane County, WV to Katherine
Cummings. They moved to Wright County (now Meeker County) Minnesota sometime in
1876 or1877. According to the 1880 Wright County Census, Evan had:
Alonzo, b. (W)VA. 1872
Cora, b. (W)VA. 1874
Rhoane, b. (W)VA. 1876
Lewis Mc D(owell?), b. Minnesota 1878
4. Mary E. Steele born circa 1851.
By the end of the War between the States, Hawkins was apparently getting the
wanderlust, just as his father had done at about the same age. He made the journey back
to the Russell/Tazewell County Virginia area, probably to visit relatives, and to sign
up for a wagon train headed for Minnesota. In a booklet published in Meeker County
Minnesota in 1937, it stated that Hawkins Steele was one of the early settlers of Wright
County, the part that is now Meeker County. The booklet states that he was in Minnesota
in 1864, but Civil War records show that he was granted amnesty when he took the Oath
of Allegiance at the end of the war, thus documenting that he did not go to Minnesota
until after April 1865. He was on an 1865 census with a new (and younger) wife also
named Catherine. His first wife, Catherine (Ellis) remained in Roane County WV.
When he went to Minnesota, several families from Russell County Virginia, who had
relatives in Logan County West Virginia were in the same wagon train. Some of the
families were: Blair, Ramey, Rasnick, Counts and Johnson. They became Hawk’s
neighbors in Minnesota.
According to the history of Wright County, Minnesota, a town called “New Virginia”
was organized in the spring of 1866. Hawkins Steele was the Town Clerk. In 1870,
the name of the town was changed to Collinwood, Minnesota. Hawkins Steele lived
in section18 of Collinwood, where he had a blacksmith shop. It was here that the first
religious service was held, in “the grove at the Steelesville Community.” The first church
organized was Methodist, the same religion as the family in Tazewell County, and more
than likely his parent’s religion. He was fifty nine years old when the 1870 Census was
taken, showing him with a younger wife whose name was also Catherine, and with three
young children, all born in Minnesota:
5. Oliver, b. MN. 1866
6. James, b. MN. 1867
7. George, b. MN. 1869
Jimmie M. Steele found a death record for him in Mormon Church records (IGI?) that
stated that he died in MN in 1870 at age 59, However there is a marriage record for a
Hawkins Steele in Kanawha County, West Virginia as a widower, age 73, who married
Matheny Gutherie in 1895. Apparently he did not die in 1870. I have done extensive
research on all Steeles in Virginia and West Virginia for people born prior to 1870 and
have no knowledge of another man named Hawkins Steele. Any descendants of Hawkins
Steele or his children should check in detail to determine if he did in fact return to West
Virginia. Since his son Evan moved to Minnisota between 1877-1878, I strongly doubt
that he would have moved there if his father had died in 1870, unless it involvedhis
father’s estate. Hawk was not mentioned in his father’s will, but it appears that he was
still alive in 1882, when his father made a Bond Deed to Lewis S. Steel. Ralph had
dropped the “e” from the spelling of his last name and signed documents as “Ralph
A. Steel.” Nothing was mentioned about Hawkins being deceased in the following
document:
“Know all men by these presents that I Ralph A. Steel of Logan County and State of
West Virginia am held and firmly bound unto Lewis S. Steel in the sum of $160.00 for
the true payment of which I bind myself my heirs and personal representatives March the
23d 1882 the consideration of the above obligation is such that whereas I have this day
for and in consideration of one hundred sexty [sic] dollars by the said Lewis S. Steel to
me in hand paid Bargained and sold to the said Lewis S. Steel the Interest of George Steel
William Steel Samuel Steel and Hawkins Steel in and to one hundred and twenty five and
one forth [sic] acres of Land Lying and being in Logan County State of West Virginia I
haveing [sic] hereto fore purchased Said Interest of the said George Steel William Steel
Samuel Steel and Hawkins Steel and paid them the purchase money Now if I cause or
cause to be made to the said Lewis S. Steel a good and sufficient deed to said undevided
[sic] interest in said Land then this obligation to be and otherwise remain in full force and Attest J M Jackson
(signed) Ralph A. Steel
Descendants need to check deed and estate records in Meeker County to find out what
happened to Hawk’s land in MN. This might provide more extensive information that I
did not pursue in my research.
Coleman A. Hatfield in his book, “Tale Of The Devils”, gave incorrect information
about Hawkins Steele. All one has to do is check the deed records for Devil Anse and his
land dealings with the Steele boys to see how much land Devil purchased (or did NOT)
purchase from the Steeles.
The Coming of Wisdom with Time
Though leaves are many, the root is one;
Through all the lying days of my youth
I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun;
Now I may wither into the truth.
~ William Butler Yeats ~
