Zachariah Hawkins was the first born child of Henry Hawkins (1792-1878) and Martha Patsy (Crofton) Hawkins (1794-1854), both natives of Kentucky, themselves. Zachariah was born on Jan 6th, 1812 in Hardin County, Kentucky, where his father farmed the land and dreamed of better times. Zachariah was the eldest of five children who lived to adulthood, the only boy in a home with four sisters. His parents, wanting a better life, relocated the family to Illinois in the early 1830's, again purchasing a farm. It was here that he met Nancy White, a native of Hamilton Co., Ohio, b. Jan 1815. They married on Oct 18th, 1832 in Hancock County, Illinois, just before the family relocated, once again, to Lee County, Iowa. As of 1840, the censuses were only giving gender and age information. I found Zachariah in Lee County, Iowa in an unnamed township, dated, it appeared sometime in July of 1840. The household consisted of 1 male child age 5-10, an adult male aged 20-30, 2 females under age 5, 1 female aged 5-10, and 1 female aged 20-30. Per family records, I have found that Samuel Simpson was b. Oct 1833, Mary Anne was b. Aug 1835, Martha was b. 1837, Laura Emily was b. 1840, all in Lee Co., Iowa. Two more children were born after 1840: Edward Harrison, b. Feb 1842, and Nancy b. Feb 1844, also of Lee Co., Iowa. Zachariah and Nancy had six children in all when they decided to follow his parents and siblings to the Oregon Territory in May, 1845. It appears they met up with the other parties in early May, 1845 in Kansas, joining those who had left from Independence, Missouri earlier. They joined over 200+ wagons, 930+ men, women and children, 9,000+ head of cattle and oxen, and over 100 horses and mules. They held elections at Big Soldier Creek to determine who would lead each of the seven companies of wagons. The extended Hawkins family was in company #3 led by Cpt. Abner Hackleman (not to be confused w/Abram or Abraham Hackleman who came West in 1847). After all was said and done, Company #3, which had named themselves "New London Emigrating Company" totaled approximently 52 wagons, 214 persons, 666 cattle and oxen, and a few horses and mules. The next morning they set off on the Oregon Trail which would take them thru Nebraska, Wyoming and Idaho. It was a long and arduous journey. They traveled an average of 15-20 miles per day, if possible, depending upon the obstacles found in their way. They traveled in both rain and sunny days and, at a number of places, had hoards of insects (mostly mosquitos) to deal with. There was nothing to absorb the shock in the wagon, so it was often easier just to walk than to try to sit inside the wagon. There were a few places where they found places where they could buy feed for their animals, but the cost was frequently very high for oats, grain and corn. The emigrants quickly learned what was really necessary and what was a luxury when trying to ford rivers with heavily loaded wagons. There were many items that were cast aside the trail as oxen became too worn to continue. They frequently saw dead oxen near the Trail who had died for a number of reasons including what was called "Hollow Horn" and apparently had to do with the quality (or lack of it) of the water that the oxen drank. As they neared the Idaho/Oregon Territory border, there was also much illness, referred to as "Camp fever" which was actually Typhus from over crowding, not being able to wash as often as they were used to (mostly due to lack of clean water), and just lowered standards of living in general. There was also Rocky Mountain spotted fever that was caused by an infected tick, Cholera, the risk of flu, pneumonia and other illnesses caused by both bacteria and viruses. There were the daily hardships of walking from dawn to dusk, the risk of tainted water and having to get wagons up steep ravines, as well. As they neared what would become the Idaho/Oregon border, Zachariah, who had been ill with "cold on lungs", per a traveler's diary entry of Aug 27th, 1845, became worse the following day and was expected to die. A notation of Aug 29th stated that "Z.Hawkins died 20 minutes after 7:00 leaving a wife and 5 children." [diary of Claiborne Campbell Walker]. He was only 32 years of age. He was buried near the trail in a way that wild animals wouldn't bother him and, the following day, the wagons moved on into Oregon Territory. Nancy was almost beside herself with grief, but had to go on. Luckily, their son Samuel was 12 yrs. old and stepped up to aid his mother and sisters. But fate was not done with the family yet. There had been rumors that there were Indian attacks near the Blue Mtns. so, after much arguing, the wagons split into two groups, with Stephen Meek offering the emigrants a "safer" way to Oregon, a route that would become known as the Meek Cutoff. The Hawkins were among about 200 wagons and 1,000 persons who left the Oregon Trail at Vale and went into the Oregon desert where no wagons had gone before. At first they followed the Malheur River, but were then forced into the hill country with a "road" that became more and more stonier with each day; they were loosing many oxen each day because of it and the emigrants took to trying to clear the stones off of the trail. More people were becoming ill with Camp Fever and many more people died. But their trials were far from over for they had to climb a very steep, narrow ravine "choked" with boulders, to get over the hill and down to Cottonwood Creek. They continued on until they finally reached Oregon's High Desert, which was completely dry. More disputes arose as to whether to go West or follow a creek to the north. West it was and they finally found some water and grass, but not enough for those who were bringing up the rear of the party. They were also almost out of provisions. By now it was mid September, 1845, and the train split at the south fork of the Crooked River. With help from a native, they were guided to the Deschutes River in Central Oregon. A relief party that had taken 3 times as long as they'd thought it would, finally returned with provisions so they could make it to The Dalles. Both groups met up near present day Gateway, Oregon on Sept 20th, 1845, but, by this time, Nancy and Zachariah's little girl, Laura, had succumbed to the trials of the situation and had also been buried somewhere by the route they'd taken on their way to Gateway, Oregon, in an unmarked grave. Nancy and her five remaining children finally made it with the rest of the Hawkins family to the Willamette Valley where they settled finally in Benton County. Nancy would remarry, becoming the wife of Thomas Micah Read, a New Hampshire native who had been in the wagon train with the Hawkins family, living in Corvallis until her death in 1895. Thomas and Nancy Read would have six children together.