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.

Selected State Repositories with selected counties

Document Archives:   I created these files a while ago: Let me know if you find any broken links:

Wisconsin

http://gsocolic.tripod.com/html/wisconsin.html

Illinois
http://gsocolic.tripod.com/html/illinois.html

Maryland
http://gsocolic.tripod.com/html/maryland.html

Massachusetts
http://gsocolic.tripod.com/html/massachusettes.html

New Hampshire
http://gsocolic.tripod.com/html/new_hampshire.html

New York
http://gsocolic.tripod.com/html/new_york.html

Pennsylvania
http://gsocolic.tripod.com/html/pennsylvania.html

Click on the web Url to see which counties are covered.

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.

New Discovery.... Article about Chicago Genealogy and Railroads

This is truly a thrilling discovery for me. I have three ancestors that worked on the Chicago North West Railroad during their life times.
http://www.examiner.com/genealogy-in-chicago/whose-been-working-on-the-railroad-a-genealogy-gem-berwyn-il

Christian DeYoung
1892: marriage certificate: ) marriage certificate: Dec 20, 1892. Christian's father is listed as John (could be Jan depending on how Dutch sounds when pronounced) DeYoung; Christian's Mother: Catharina Wassamarr (or Wassenaar) born in Holland. Wife's maiden name is: Jane Hausman.
Registration of Marriages: No. 495
name of husband: Christian DeYoung
name of father of husband: John DeYoung
name of mother of husband before marriage: Catharina Wassaman (or Wassamar) (Friesland, Dutch Archives website: spelling: Wassenaar)
Occupation of husband: Foreman on Railroad
residence of husband: Waukegan, IL
Birthplace of Husband: Holland
Full name of wife previous to marriage: Jane Hauseman, name of mother of wife: Hille Schilsten; Birthplace of wife: Holland: Date Marriage was contracted: Dec 1, 1892; Place or town, and county where marriage was contracted: Racine, Racine Co. WI
Names of subscribing witnesses: John Schlitz and Nellie Schlitz; name of person pronouncing marriage: CK Percival (Racine WI) Dec 15, 1892: Date of registration: Dec 20, 1892. Source: Marriage Certificate, Racine County, City of Racine Courthouse
working as a foreman of Irish and Mexican gangs who laid Chicago Northwestern Railroad in the late 1890's." (page 14) (Christian DeYoung helped build the Chicago NorthWestern Railroad when he brought his PARENTS from Holland to Racine, my mother's birthplace"(page 2)Source: Alice Sankey. Hey Don't Write Me Off . Unpublished Manuscript and interview with Alice Sankey on January 30, 2001
(Alice was my grandmother)

Philip Dahlberg and Gustav Dahlberg:
1903-1906: Illinois, Cook County, Chicago: worked with his step father (Gustave Dahlberg) as a carpenter and on Chicago Northwest Railroad in dining car. [Alice Sankey. "Hey Dont Write Me Off". Unpublished Manuscript.]