Who was Horace Hawes?

In 1835, Hawes took part in an abolitionist discussion, although he was not a member of the party. He was criticized for his outspoken position against slavery. Perhaps there was something in his previous experience that led him to have a strong opinion on the subject.

Horace married in 1846, but his wife died before the year was out. President James K. Polk appointed him to be U.S. Consul to the South Sea Islands, and Hawes sailed around the Horn to visit Honolulu, San Francisco and Monterey. In 1849, he was appointed as Prefect of the District of San Francisco, and he was later the District Attorney charged with prosecuting the "Hounds," a gang of hoodlums in San Francisco.

He practiced law on Montgomery Street, and in 1856, was elected to the state Assembly. It was here he introduced the "Consolidation Act" to clean up San Francisco politics. Before it could be passed, he was forced to accept an amendment that created San Mateo County from the southern part of San Francisco County.

Hawes was considered an able man with a clean record, and he was reelected to the Assembly and eventually elected state senator. In 1857, Hawes bought land in what is now Redwood City, including the area of the present campus of Sequoia High School. He built a home, calling it "Redwood Farm," and lived there until he died. The entrance was on El Camino Real.

Hawes was also instrumental in founding the Union Cemetery when he objected to burials taking place on his property and contributed to the establishment of a proper cemetery elsewhere. Hawes married again in 1858 to Caroline Combs and they had two children, a boy and a girl.

During the Civil War, Hawes once again was an outspoken advocate of the Union cause, opposing slavery. He was defeated for reelection to the state Senate in 1867.

Hawes was described as being suspicious and eccentric by nature. His health started to fail him, and some sources claim his eccentricity was carried to the point of insanity. Others dispute this. It is said that he suspected his wife of plotting to kill him. Nevertheless, 10 days before his death, he deeded most of his property to found "Mount Eagle University" and a trade school. He died on March 13, 1871, at 58. His wife had the deed of trust broken due to his not being of sound mind at the time he wrote it.

Mount Eagle University may never have been built, but Sequoia High School marks the old home of Horace Hawes, father of San Mateo County.

Rediscovering the Peninsula appears in the Monday edition of the Daily Journal. For more information on this or related topics, visit the San Mateo County History Museum, 777 Hamilton St., Redwood City.