Jacob and Samuel Hawken

Lore & Background

Jacob and Samuel Hawken were born in Hagerstown, Maryland, and raised by their father, Christian Hawken, to become gunsmiths. Local folklore sets the establishment of their shop in 1807, but evidence suggests Jacob worked for the Harpers Ferry Armory from 1808 until at least 1818, when he moved to Missouri and bought 160 acres of land in New Madrid. His brothers John, Joseph, and George Hawken also worked at Harper's Ferry until early 1818. Jacob entered a partnership with St. Louis gunsmith James Lakenan, which lasted until Lakenan's death on August 25, 1825.

Samuel Hawken served in the Maryland militia during the War of 1812. After the war he moved to Ohio and established his own enterprise in Xenia, Ohio. Following the deaths of his wife and father, he relocated to St. Louis and formed a fresh business, separate from that of Lakenan and his older brother. James worked supplying guns to the American Fur Company. After Lakenan's death in 1825, the Hawkens became partners.

Their shop excelled in gun-smithing and was a bastion of old-fashioned craftsmanship; until 1848, they repaired and restocked tools and firearms, and produced brass axes, tomahawks, gun worms, and basket-style hilts for swords. They also devoted time to acquiring and developing land. Jacob Hawken died in 1849 and was buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. Samuel continued the business alone. In 1855, Samuel retired and passed the shop to his son William and William’s partner Tristram Campbell, and the shop continued as 'Hawken & Campbell' until 1862.

Reader's Guide

Jacob and Samuel Hawken are significant for their design of the Hawken plains rifle, a firearm that became iconic among frontiersmen and traders in the American West. Their shop in St. Louis operated from 1825 to 1855, a period when the fur trade and westward expansion were at their height. The Hawken rifle was known for its durability and accuracy, suited for the harsh conditions of the plains. Beyond firearms, the brothers maintained a traditional craft shop that repaired tools and produced various metal goods until 1848. Their partnership began after the death of Jacob's earlier partner, James Lakenan, in 1825. Jacob's death in 1849 did not end the business; Samuel continued until 1855, when he passed it to his son and a partner. Samuel's long life—he died in 1884 at age 91—allowed him to witness the evolution of the firearms industry. The Hawken name remains associated with the plains rifle, a symbol of the mountain man era. Their legacy is preserved in historical collections and museums, such as the Museum of the Mountain Man.

Did You Know?

• The Hawken brothers' shop repaired and restocked tools and firearms, and produced brass axes, tomahawks, and basket-style hilts for swords until 1848.
• Samuel Hawken retired in 1855 and passed the shop to his son William and William's business partner Tristram Campbell.