Hawson, Henry

Born in Sheffield, England, Henry Hawson began working before age twelve, learning shorthand at night school and traveling as a cutlery salesman across the British Isles. Immigrating to the United States to join his brothers in Oregon, he transitioned into journalism, working for newspapers across the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, San Francisco, and Shasta County before settling in Fresno in 1901. In 1904, he married Elsie May Tade at Berkeley, the adopted daughter of pioneer Congregational minister Reverend Dr. E. O. Tade.

Hawson read law and passed the California Bar examination in 1907, subsequently serving Fresno County as Deputy District Attorney and later as Assistant District Attorney. A prominent leader within the Democratic Party, he served as Chairman of the Fresno County Democratic Central Committee and was twice elected to the California State Assembly representing the Fifty-first District in 1914 and 1916. Active in civic affairs, Hawson chaired the Joint Committee on Improvement of the San Joaquin River for Navigation and held active memberships in local fraternal organizations, including the Woodmen of the World and the Odd Fellows.