Susie Reams
ECB Publishing, Inc.
For 28 years, Eleanor B. Hawkins was a face in the Jefferson County government system as Clerk of the Court.
Eleanor B. Hawkins was born in 1938. She was the former Clerk of the Circuit Court from January 1969 to December 1996.
In addition to her contributions to the county as the elected Clerk, Hawkins was also a proud political supporter and in 2005, was elected as the chairman to the Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee.
Hawkins was also briefly recognized in the 1981 Sheriff's Star publication that was published by the Florida Sheriff's Association. In an excerpt pertaining to Jefferson County, the Sheriff's Star notes that Hawkins served as Clerk of the Court, with other elected officials at the time being Sheriff James H. Scott, Property Appraiser Steve C. Walker, Jr., Tax Collector Ouida Anderson, Supervisor of Elections Ed Ritter, Jr., School Superintendent Desmond Bishop and County Judge Charles C. Anderson.
The Jefferson County Commissioners at the time were Mordaunt Bishop, Sammy P. Gray, Jessie E. Cooksey, Walter Edwards, Jr., and T. Butler Walker; the Jefferson County School Board was comprised of William J. French, Elizabeth Hall, L. Ferrell Hamrick, Edwin C. Faglie and James Boland, Jr.
In addition to her political roles, Hawkins was also a historian who researched and wrote about Jefferson County's history and culture.
An excerpt of her writing has been made available online within the Jefferson County website, at jeffersoncountyfl. gov.
Hawkins wrote extensively on the history of her county, mentioning the county's first European settlers (members of the Spanish conquistador Panfilo de Narvaez's expedition) and writing about the native tribes who had lived on the Jefferson County lands.
Hawkins' writings reference the role that the Aucilla River plays in understanding the prehistoric geology and history of the Southern United States.
“For several millions of years what later came to be Jefferson County was home to mammoths, mastodons, ground sloths, giant armadillo, camels, horses, giant tortoise and saber cats. Skeletal remains of these and many other exotic animals are routinely recovered by Aucilla River Prehistory Project field expeditions from the Aucilla's rich sedimentary legacy,” wrote Hawkins. “Sands, clays, gravels and botanical material deposited since the last Ice Age over ten thousand years ago often produce items never found in more ancient accumulations - stone tools.”
After 28 years of service to the Jefferson County community, Hawkins retired.
Hawkins' years of commitment and dedication to the county and its citizens was recognized by County Commissioners on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1996. Commissioners hosted a special dinner and recognition ceremony for Hawkins and several other retiring officials before presenting each retiree with a special gift.
To Hawkins, they bestowed a sterling silver plate that had been engraved with her name, title of office and a count of the many years she had spent within the Jefferson County Courthouse, serving the people.
You must be logged in to post a comment.