COEN-Isaac M. - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Isaac M. COEN, farmer, Newtown, was born in Knox Co OH Dec 11, 1817. His father, John Coen was born in Steuben Co Ohio. His mother, Asenath Mills was born in PA. They removed to Knox County in early life and were united in marriage Jan 15, 1815. In his 13th year he removed with his parents to Marion Co Ohio a now and heavily timbered country, and a large portion of his time until he was 21 was spent in clearing and fencing land. He helped his father clear 3 farms in the heavy timber on Shaw Creek in Marion County then, and Morrow county now, and was considered an expert with the axe, mattook and maul. What education he has was obtained in the old fashioned log school house and vacant dwelling houses, obtained now and then before the log school house was built. He attended no school after he was 12 until he was 15. Then he attended the common schools 8 months. Afterward in his 16th and 17th years, he attended an academy, Huron Institute at Milan, Huron Co Ohio about one year with the intention of taking a regular classical course but his health failing he was forced to suspend his studies and they were not resumed. One winter he taught an evening school in the district or neighborhood school house for the study of arithmetic and found lights (tallow candles) for the school for 25 cents an evening. Another winter he taught a 4-months school for $13 per month, boarded himself and walked 2 1/2 miles to school and thought he was getting high wages. He was married to Rachel Sayers Juy 20, 1837. They have 9 children; Theresa; John J; Marilla A; Mary E; Charlotte A; Frances A; Alice M; Rhoda C and Isaac L. 7 are living. Frances A and Isaac L are dead. He removed to Richland Twp, Fountain Co In in the fall of 1840 and has lived here now just 40 years. His business during this time has been chiefly farming, raising and handling stock. He taught school 4 months the first winter he lived here; 7 the second fall and winter and occasionally afterward. He has held the office of Twp Trustee several times; represented his county in thelegislature in 1854 and 55; was a democrat until the KS and NEB excitement in 1853 and 54; has since been a decided republican. He has done a considerable amount of business for others in settling estates, guardianships, assisting in division of estates, arbitrations, etc. He has been a frequent and acceptable contributor to the county papers during the past 25 years. He has been connected with the Presbyterian Church b y letter in 1842 and soon after was elected ruling elder. In 1858, owing to the inconvenience of the Coal Creek Church, some 7 miles distant he and family changed their membership to the Newtown Presbyterian Church. He was shortly after chosen by that church as elder and holds that relation at the present time. He has twice been a delegate to the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church ; in 1864 to the New School assembly at Dayton Ohio and in 1874 to the assembly of the reunited churches, which met in Baltimore, Maryland. He has taken a deep interest in the cause of education, temperance, Sabbath school and all christian work, and has been at all times the friend and advocate of every measure that has for its object the best interests of the community in which he lives. He has spent a good deal of time and money in connection with others, trying to secure a railroad to Newtown and through the township, and was a diretor and VP of the Lafayette, Rockville & Terre Haute RR Company. He was a member of two or three other companies but so far they hav enot been able to secure a road. He has reduced his farm to 180 acres, except some wil lands in Iowa believing that to be enough for him and his wife to care for and manage in thier declining years.