Henry C. Hawley, physician and surgeon, Hesperia, was born in Rensselaer Co., N. Y., Aug. 11, 1830. His parents were natives of New York, where they married and lived until 1857, when they moved to Indiana, and both lived to an advanced age. He attended school at the Academy in Saratoga, and assisted his father in the millwright trade until he was 20 years old, then apprenticed himself to learn the pattern-making profession and served three years.
June 6, 1850, he was married, in Rensselaer County, to Miss Clarissa McGill, daughter of John and Sarah Jane (Hermonce) McGill, natives of New York;, who was born in that State 'May 30, 1833. She was educated at Troy, and remained at home until her marriage. They moved to Aurora, Ind., in the fall of 1852 where he followed his trade for a short time, thence to Louisville, Ky., where he remained three years. He then moved to Seymour, Ind., thence to Hardinburg, where, in 1858, he commenced to study medicine, under Dr. Alfred Force, of that place. He remained here until the spring of 1861, when, owing to the ill health of his wife, he came North and settled in the vicinity of Hesperia, this county. Here he began to practice his profession. The country being new, he was compelled to visit his patients by following a trail through the woods on foot; many times he has been obliged to creep through the woods where a horse could not go.
Mr. and Mrs. Hawley have had 14 children, 11 of whom are living. There were five girls and nine boys; one of the former and two of the latter are deceased; of the living, three are married - two daughters and one son.
Mr. H. is a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 346, of Hesperia, of the Newaygo Chapter, R. A. M., of Newaygo, and the Muskegon Commandery, K. T., No. 22, of Muskegon; also a member of the I. O. O. F., 334, of Hesperia, and the I. O. G. T. He has been Justice of the Peace 18 consecutive years, Supervisor 10 years, and County Surveyor six years. In politics he is an active and an influential Republican.