|
a.
|
Note: Michael Coon's birthplace has been the subject of much genealogical dissension and distraction. His gravestone in Cossell Cemetery, Charleston Twp., Coles County, IL, reads: "Michael Coon / Born in Berks Co., PA., October 4, 1779 / Emigrated to VA in 1794 / From thence to Ohio 1817 / From Ohio to IL in 1841 / Died February 4, 1851 / Aged 72 yrs. 4 mos." This stone was put up by Michael's sons Isaac and William after they had made one, possibly two trips to California; so they were perhaps more conscious of time and distance than were many of their generation.
Their information was substantially correct: Michael and family did reach Illinois in the fall of 1841; they may very well have come to Ohio in 1817 though since Michael owned no land in Virginia, the date of that move is more difficult to establish precisely. Some of the Coons did arrive in Botetourt County, Virginia, about 1794, but they had been living further down the Valley in Berkeley County, Virginia since about 1785. Probably Michael was disposed to regard the stay in Berkeley as only a stop-over en route?
Michael's stone was so explicit and so generally correct regarding his various residences that the family were disposed to take his announced birthplace as fact and to research the Coons in Pennsylvania accordingly. To add further to the 'certainty' of the location, Michael's California descendants have insisted through the years that one of his sons, usually named as "Michael Jr." later went back to Pottstown, Pennsylvania." Pottstown is indeed very near to Berks County, but it is difficult at this distance to say which is the egg and which the chicken in this story!
A great deal of time, effort and money spent in Berks County, Pennsylvania on Coon-Kuhn research came to nothing at all so far as finding any trace of Michael or his family. Efforts in the vicinity of Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, alleged location of the tilt hammer owned by Michael's uncle the legendary George Berger, were similarly unproductive.
Finally, but only after research in all the Dutch counties of eastern Pennsylvania, it was evident that Michael belonged with the Gohn-Coon family of York County. His parents were living there in Chanceford Township from their marriage about 1772 until their departure for the Valley of Virginia in 1785. Jacob, Michael's father, was enrolled in the York County Militia throughout the Revolutionary Way, and several of his children were baptized at Stehli Union Church in Chanceford Township.
Suffice it to say, if Michael Coon was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in the autumn of 1779, as his gravestone asserts, his parents were there only temporarily and were not considered as permanent legal residents. Coke for the local iron works was a large factor in the Berks County economy of this era. Each winter saw many migrant workers come into the Blue Mountain area as woodcutters, haulers and charcoal burners. Consequently it is possible that Jacob Gohn of York County was so employed at the time of the birth of his second son, Michael, but there is no evidence to back up such a story.
Again it is difficult to document Michaels' sojourn in Botetourt County, VA; aside from his marriage record he does not appear in the court house files since he owned no land, and his father had no recorded estate settlement. The year by year personal tax lists are available (original manuscripts in the Virginia State Archives at Richmond), but even here it is not always possible to distinguish clearly between Michael Coon Sr., his son Michael Jr. and this Michael, son of Michael Sr.'s brother Jacob.
Jacob Coon Sr. is listed in 1798 and 1799 with three tithables (boys over 16 years) besides his son Jacob, Jr. listed separately; in 1801 Jacob Sr. drops to two tithables when his son Michael comes on the roll at the time of his marriage.
Thereafter "Michael son of Jacob" continues in identifiable form through 1812, at which time he is listed as the owner of five horses and a resident on James River. In the 1810 federal census Michael Coon and wife, both aged 26-45 years are listed with three sons under ten years.
The "1820" census of Jefferson Twp, Ross County, OH (actually taken January 27, 1821) shows this Michael Coon, he and his wife still 26-45 years, with three sons aged 18-26, 16-18, 0-10, and two daughters aged 10-16. Michael's brother John Coon and his brothers-in-law Christian and George Huddle were all living in this same township at this time.
Ross County, OH, Duplicate Tax Lists (original manuscripts in the library of the Ohio State Historical Society in Columbus) show Adam Coon (Michael's brother) as owning land in Jefferson Twp, Sec. 35 T 8 R20 from 1813; in 1824 both Michael and John Coon came on the list as land owners there in Sec. 27 T 8 R20. In personal property lists available 1826-1829, Michael and John Coon are shown in consecutive listings; Michael is taxed for two horses and three cows; George Coon, next to Michael, has three cows in 1826 and 1827, but does not appear in either 1828 or 1829.
As in Virginia, Ross County research is troubled by an excess of Michael Coons: an earlier cousin Michael B8, probably a son of John and Catherine (Snider) Coon, bought land before 1810 in the Military Tract west of the Scioto River; a later cousin Michael G5 son of Christian Coon, came from Fairfield County, OH, about 1832 and bought land in Liberty Twp., Sec. 16 T 8 R 20. This latter Michael had a wife Sarah and is usually called Michael Coon, Jr. in the Ross County public records. Both he and this Michael, son of Jacob, with wife Elizabeth moved to Coles County, IL in 1841; their children intermarried and went together to Butte County, CA.
Somewhere along the way, very likely in Ross County, these two first cousins acquired a further designation within the family and among friends; Christian's son was called "Red Mike Coon" while Jacob's son became "Black Mike Coon" presumably on account of their different hair color. Although these nicknames were never used in any official way, they have come down as a part of family folklore.
In the 1830 census of Jefferson Twp., Ross County, OH, Michael Coon Sr. was listed as aged 50-60, his wife was aged 40-50; their household had one female 15-20 (daughter Harriett) and males 20-30 (?), 20-15 (William), and 5-10 (Isaac). There is no George Coon household found in this census of Ross County; so it is possible that the older male in Michael's household was this son not yet married.
In 1840 the following were listed in consecutive households in Jefferson Twp, Ross County: William Coon aged 20-30 just married (Michael's son); George Coon aged 30-40 (Michael's son?); William Snider aged 20-30 (Michael's son-in-law); and Margaret Gray aged 30-40 (Michael's daughter), but where was husband William?
On 6 January 1828 Michael Coon and wife Elizabeth of Ross County, sold to John Coon of Ross County for $420, 84-1/2 acres in Sec. 27 T 8 R 20 of the Congress Lands located in Ross County. (Ross County, OH, Deeds, 25:295-296) This grantee was Michael's brother John who owned other land in the same section.
On 6 October 1841 (that is, just before starting out for Illinois) Michael Coon and wife Elizabeth of Ross County sold to John Greaves of Ross County for $1500, 80 acres in Sec. 27 T 8 R 20 and 26 acres in Sec. 34 T 8 R 20. (ibid. 39:171) These are the only conveyances found in Ross County for Michael and Elizabeth (Huddle) Coon.
In 1841, Riley Coon and his immediate family moved on to Coles County, IL. They travelled overland with a large company of Coon relatives: uncle Michael Coon, cousins William and Elizabeth (Coon) Coon, William and Mary Ann (Coon) Kiser, William Snider, William Gray, as well as more distant cousins, Michael Coon, Adam Coon, and Matthias Beckom.
Three months after the date of this sale, on 1/3/1842, Michael Coon bought from Adam Toole, for $1200, lands in Coles County, IL, 200 acres, the NE1/4 and the SE1/4 of SW1/4 in Sec. 33 T 13 R 9 in Seven Hickory Twp., and 40 acres the NE1/4 of NW1/4 in Sec. 16 T 12 R 9. (Coles County, IL, Deeds, H:72-73) This latter tract located in Charleston Township, just west of the town of Charleston, was Michael's residence for the remainder of his life. On 4/29/1845 his sons William and Isaac bought the adjoining 40 acres on the east. (Ibid. 3:107)
The 1850 census of Charleston Precinct, Coles Co., shows Michael Coon aged 71 years born in PA, with Susan Coon (Isaac's wife) aged 31 years born in VA, and her three children born in IL, America aged 4, Mary M aged 3, Caroline aged one year; George Gray (Michael's grandson) aged 11 born in Ohio was also living in this household. Michael's sons Isaac and William were in California looking for gold at the time this census was taken; William's wife and family were with her parents in the household of "Red Mike" Coon in Hutton Township, Coles Co.
The will of Michael Coon, written in 1848, probated 17 March 1851, appointed his sons William and Isaac Coon as Executors and directed them to sell his property -- including a 200 acre farm -- to pay three legacies of $200 each to his son George Coon of Ohio and to his daughters Margaret Gray and Harriet Snider. But William and Isaac being in California and George in Ohio, the Court ordered that one E. W. Huntington be appointed Administrator of the estate. There was a sale of personal property; debts and expenses were paid; but disposition of the real estate was left to the return of the prospectors. (Coles County, IL Probate #474, recorded C:621)
"On 3 July 1859 Isaac Coon and wife Susan sold to Francis M. Webb for $3910 the following land located in Coles Co.: NE 1/4 160 acres plus SE1/4 of SW1/4, 40 acres, both in Sec. 33 T13 R9 (this description fits Michael Coon's 200 acre farm in Seven Hickory Twp.); S1/2 of SE1/4 of SE1/4, 20 acres in Sec. 28 T13 R9; and NW1/4 of NW1/4 of NE1/4. 10 acres in Sec. 16 T12 R9 (a part of the land bought jointly with his brother in 1845 adjoining Michael Coon's homestead in Charleston Twp.). On 7 Feb. 1859 Isaac and Susan had sold also to Francis Webb 20 acres in the N1/2 of NE1/4 of NW1/4 Sec. 16 T12 R9 (Isaac's half of his father's home place). (Coles County, ILl., Deeds, 3:104; 11:309)
"On 11 April 1861 Isaac Coon with William Coon and wife Elizabeth, all of Butte County, CA, sold to Henry Seitz of Coles County, for $3000, the following lands in Coles County: S1/2 of NE1/4, NE1/4 of SE1/4, and N1/2 of SE1/4 of SE1/4, all three in Sec. 28 T13 R9; S1/2 of NE1/4 of NW1/4, 20 acres in Sec. 16 T12 R9 (William's half of his father's homestead); in E1/2 of N1/2 of the NW1/4, 10 acres also in Sec. 16 T12 R9. (ibid., 6:428) This deed, acknowledged in Butte County, CA, on the date it was drawn, represents the final transfer of Michael Coon's real property in Coles County.
"All the Coon descendants of this Michael, as well as most of these Sniders and Grays, removed to Butte County, CA. Information on children and grandchildren hereafter has all been compiled through the research and cooperation of Larry Richardson of Paradise, CA.
"On 13 May 1896 William Coon of Durham, Butte, CA, then aged 76 years, wrote in the autograph album of Allen C. Jobe, his great-grandson: "I had four brothers and two sisters, names Samuel, Jacob, George, Isaac, Margaret, Harriet." (Copy in handwriting of Lizzie (Duffield) Jobe now in the possession of Neta Belle Pyle of Chico, CA) This statement agrees in general with the Ohio census records previously quoted and so is assumed to be correct, but since no records pertaining to Michael's sons Samuel and Jacob Coon have been found in either Ross County, OH, or Coles County, IL, the reasonable conclusion is that they died before reaching maturity; certainly they did not outlive their father, nor did they leave heirs to benefit from his estate.
|
