Captain Haws Bicentennial Commemorates Putnam County’s First Settler – Shaw Local

The Magnolia Township Preservation Association will honor the first settler in Putnam County during the Captain Haws Bicentennial Celebration on Saturday, August 17.

The day’s festivities will begin with a car show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Magnolia Township Preservation Association Museum parking lot. Preservation Association members will also be selling pork chop sandwiches, drinks and snacks. A slide show about Captain William Haws will be shown in the museum’s meeting room.

In 1824, Haws passed through the area now known as Magnolia Township on his way to Galena. He liked the scenery of the area and decided to settle in Putnam County. Haws carved his name into a tree before continuing on to Galena. In 1826, after completing his business in Galena, he returned to the Magnolia area and took possession of his claim.

Haws is considered the first permanent settler in Putnam County. He built a log cabin on the north side of Little Sandy Creek. Putnam County was founded in 1831 at a meeting in Haws’ cabin.

Haws was a captain of a company of state militia during the Black Hawk War. In 1847, he led a trek to Oregon and mined lead in Galena, gold in California, and silver in Mexico.

The mission of the Magnolia Township Preservation Association is to research, collect, preserve, promote and share the history of Magnolia Township to inform future generations.