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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Researching Hiram Coon Family of Palmyra, Jefferson County, Wisconsin

I am working on a project for the Coon family (1840 - 1950) as one of my assignments for the Pro Gen study group and plan to post it as soon as I have feedback from my group and have omitted living people. One of my online contacts is a cousin who has the original Coon Bible, family letters and photographs. She was gracious to send me copies of these and photos of the Bible.

I have a few letters written by Thomas Riddell Sankey (my grandfather) to various relatives that gave me clues to family relationships and helped me get started several years ago on the Coon family. The Dow family was also prominent in this area of Wisconsin. There are two items that won't be included in my analysis of sources: I have family photos which include other Palmyra, Jefferson, Wisconsin notables such as Washburn. I also have two letters written by Mirah Congdon to Thomas Riddell Sankey from 1949. In this letter she mentions George Riddell of Jacumba California (my great grandmother's brother who is buried in Fort Roscrans National Cemetery, San Diego County, San Diego) and Ada Charley (Palmyra) who lived at Route 1, Eagle, Wisconsin. Ada Charley was probably the daughter of Ada Coon's sister. (Ada Coon was the mother of Harriet (nee Riddell) Sankey and Ada was Hiram Coon's daughter.) Mirah (Congdon)wrote about family friends who she says are all of her generation in Palmyra Ethel Gates Bannerman, Alice Carlin, Emma Fairbrother Carlin. A letter from Nina Fisher whose grandmother was Susan Coon (sister of Ada Coon) in which Nina writes that she joined the DAR (so there should be an application on file...) and she tells of the Dow genealogy.(Ada Coon's mother's direct line)

The Dows came from Hollis and Hudson, New Hampshire and the Coons came from Manlius, Onondaga, New York to Palmyra, Jefferson, Wisconsin.

Jefferson County Wisconsin
(1850-1924) Other surnames from this time period in Jefferson County, Palmyra, Wisconsin:
Direct lines: Riddell, Bunker, Westcott, Dow, Thayer
Collateral Lines: Charley, Donaldson, Reisen, Wrightson,Congdon, Knapp, Woodruff, Knapp, Moore, Pattee, Brisbin, Avery, Boss, Pattee, Swinton, Bishop, McShane, Malcolmson, Brockway, Potter, Schultz, Phillips
I have quite a bit of info on Carlin family but not sure how they are related or if they were just family friends of the Dows.