Hiram Coon Research Report Introduction

Whew!  I have been working on a really long research report on the Coon family. 

Before this branch of my tree landed in Palmyra, Jefferson County, Wisconsin they lived in  Manlius, Onondaga County, New York and they came to Wisconsin with a large group of related persons and family friends to Palmyra, Jefferson County, Wisconsin.  Lura Dow daughter of Oliver Parker Dow (brother to Eliza Dow) was quoted in Dodge/Jefferson County Genealogical Society's publication "Out on a Limb"

                                      “The first that I know anything about were what I would call “our folks”.  There were quite a bunch of them.  They came from Chenango county, NY... some were brothers and sisters-in-laws, cousins, etc., probably. They were Mr. and Mrs. Albertus Knapp, Mr. and Mrs. John Morrison, Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Graves, Mr and Mrs. Elizer Graves."(Out on A Limb)

  

 One of the avenues I intend to investigate further will hopefully answer the question: Who exactly was included in the group of people who migrated from New York to Palmyra, WI?  

 I wrote a draft of the report on Hiram Coon (it is about 26 pages long) and The rest of the report is waiting for peer review (ProGen 8) at the end of this month. What follows are the names and dates for the subject and his family.

The subject under investigation is Hiram Coon born on 13 November 1819 in Manlius, Onondaga, New York and Died 4 October 1875 in Palmyra, Jefferson, Wisconsin and his first wife Achsah Moore (1816-1846). Hiram’s second wife was Anna Eliza Dow born 19 June 1825 and their children:

Elvira C. Coon born 3 August 1848 in Mendon, Monroe County, New York and died in 1916. Elvira married Robert Charley

Susan Coon was born on 21 Sept 1853 and died 22 July 1910 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.  Susan married James Wrightson Congdon. (see appendix for timeline) child: Mirah Coon

Frank W. Coon was born on 7 May 1854. He married Agnes Swinton

Ada Martina Coon born 12 January 1855 in Palmyra, Jefferson, Wisconsin and died 1 January 1928 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. Married first, Francis Darling Riddell (1854-1905) on 19 August 1876 and second, married Julius Delos Wescott (Westcott) on 25 March 1893.

Anna Eliza Coon was born in 27 February 1844 and died on 7 June 1920, Anna married Frank Edward Donaldson

Marana Coon (b. 1840) married [?] Knapp (Socolich)

(note from gs: Please note that the bolded individuals are my direct line.)

1. Out on A Limb, page 10] [Dodge/Jefferson Counties Genealogical Society, Inc. Genealogy Newsletter, Out on a Limb. Volume 20 No. 1. February 2005. From the Jefferson County Union, Wilbur, S.D. 1924.)

2.  Socolich, Gwynn. Research Report on Hiram Coon, Introduction to Subject.

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.

2009 Genealogy Recap

Note: I would like to credit Randy Seavers of Genea-musings for the topic headings in his post "Grading on my Progress on 2009 Goals and Objectives" I did not use a grade but did a recap instead.

My Genealogy Research
oPosted to gs Genealogy blog Research Blog on Blogger
oGates research on the internet and in the Carlsbad Georgina Cole Library.
oResearched step family: Bartnicki and identified step father’s siblings in photograph.
oMore research on the DeWitt Clinton Graham family of Washington County, PA on World Vital Records website. Discovered that there were two possibilities of Graham families at this location at this time. George Graham, Peter Graham or (the most promising one…Aneas Graham) according to an email contact.
oDiscovered that a fellow Lost Treasures committee member and I were related by a second Wescott marriage (she was a descendant from Wescott and I am descended from Coon)
oWashington County, PA research for Coon
oResearch in Jefferson County, Palmyra for Coon, Congdon, Charley, Dow, Graves.
oConducted land Research for Leander and Milton Coon in Palmyra, Jefferson County, Wisconsin

Obtained a external hard drive for back up.
Sorted step dad’s family photos emailed some to his relatives.
Interviewed step dad’s family.

Genealogy Education:
Joined NSDGS in October 2009: attended program meetings, learned about Google Earth and its applications for Genealogy mapping, attend COG Computer User’s Group: learned about Ancestry new and old searches..Thanks to Randy Seavers of CVGS and his blog: Genea-musings. Learned to search Genealogy websites more effectively. Purchased “More Evidence” by Elizabeth Shown Mills and I am currently reading it.

I took a Photo Shop Elements online class to learn to repair damaged family history photos.

Genealogy Society:
member and chair of the SDGS Lost Treasures Committee: inventoried society collection of items to place with descendants, placed 150 photos which contained five branches of one family with a University Archives, Wisconsin diary, family bible, Rachel Wedgeforth will copies with San Diego Zoo/Wild Animal Park Archives, placed military documents with Sacramento Military museum library. Placed ten items total 2008-2009 average per placement was three months.
Obtained estimated auction value for Brooklyn Bridegooms photos, wrote project volunteer guidelines, conducted orientation for three project volunteers, contacted Ken Kramer (NBC) regarding media coverage of Lost Treasures.
New Chair of Lost Treasures given orientation in August.
Provided internet resources and printed resources to help project researchers get started in finding living descendants.

Monthly volunteer in SDGS library: gave tours, assisted patrons with research, wrote volunteer guidelines for Raw Notes project. Created and maintained website for Lost Treasures. Created Lost Treasures blog regarding item placements.

Genealogy Writing:
Briefly attended Genealogy Writers group at SDGS. Wrote draft regarding my Dutch ancestors. I took an online adult ed class on Biography writing and read three books on the subject. Read four books about writing a family genealogy book.

note: I am not affiliated with Ancestry, although I am a subscriber, I am not affiliated with World Vital Records, although I am a subscriber. I am not an employee of NBC.

Coon, Congdon, Dow families of Palmyra WI

I am following up on previous research on the Coon, Congdon and Dow families. My grandfather had written Myra Congdon, daughter of Susan (nee Coon) Congdon. It took a second look to realize the letter said "my mother frequently spoke about her grandfather Coon". Gary Corrigan gave me the clue that this was Susan (nee Coon) Congdon which I verified with the census. I am working on other collateral lines to this family. I keep coming up with the surname "Potter". Potters in Palymyra, Wisconsin who are you? Never be afraid to go back and look for something you missed on the first reading. Apparently the Congdons were from Whitewater and I need to investigate more photos from the cabinet card album that say the photographer is from Whitewater. These may be photos of Congdons.

My Personal Genealogical Research

If you are researching the following surnames: Darling, Dow, Thayer, Stonequist, Socolich, Thayer, Riddell, Sankey, Malcolm, Graham or Hawkins, please see my personal website http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gwynngenealogy/ On my genealogy site I have a beginner's genealogy research tutorial, timelines, photos and research brickwalls.

I have two related blogs: http://gsgenealogy.wordpress.com/ (my current genealogy research and problems with research)