James Cochrun

As printed in 1906

HAMES COCHRUN. Among the old ge = g families of this county which pos-. both on account of the prominence of its living representatives and its conof this section for almost a century—is that of Cochrun, the earliest record of which relates grandfather of our subject, James Cochrun. Rev. Simon Cochrun was a notable man in and subsequently, for 47 years, an active minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He about 1756, and died in this county January 9, 1845, aged 89 years, 11 months and 6 days. very early in the ’30’s, being then a minister; as, in the old records, may be found the statefor Elias Wright and Sarah Bowman early in 1835. Rev. Simon Cochrun had three sons: cated on a farm in German township, in 1800; and Wesley and John, both of whom served in house in the township was built on the Cochrun farm, with either Asa Wright or John held in the home of John Cochrun by Rev. Krellum, the pioneer members being John ago. In the patent to his farm of 67 acres, Griffith Breese, passed then into the Hover tie interest in politics, but his active participareligious faith he is a Methodist.

sesses a most interesting history— nection with the public affairs and personages to the birth of Rev. Simon Cochrun, the great-his day, having been a Revolutionary soldier was born in Montgomery County, Kentucky, In all probability he came to Allen County ment that he performed the marriage service Thomas, born in Kentucky in 1800, who lette War of 1812. In 1833 the first school- Summerset as teacher. Church services were Cochrun and wife Hester, James Hayes and wife, a Mr. Ryan, a Mr. Jackson and Nancy Lippincott. Later Rev. Sullivan ministered in a church that was destroyed by fire, another being erected in the northeast corner of the township.

In 1832 Wesley Cochrun, the grandfather of James Cochrun, of Spencerville, located four miles north of Lima, where he entered land and improved a farm on which he lived until the close of his life, dying at the age of 85 years. He was an enthusiastic member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife survived him some years, dying at the age of 88. Of their children, seven reached maturity, viz: John, Simon, William, Rebecca, Susan, Jane and Sarah. John located in Franklin County, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits; Simon, named for his grandfather, became the father of the Spencerville Cochruns; Rebecca is deceased; Susan, widow of A. G. Pague, lived and died on the old homestead; Jane married a Mr. West and they removed to Texas; and Sarah married a Mr. McGuire and resided at Ada, Ohio.

Simon Cochrun was born in Ohio in 1822, and died at his home in Amanda township, February 11, 1895. He was Io years old when the family came to this county. He settled in Amanda township in 1855. While he engaged in various kinds of employment working for a time on the canal, then in course of construction, and following agriculture as suited his convenience—he was more fitted for a professional life, being a man of natural mental superiority. In the early days he taught a subscription school in the old log schoolhouse, being thus irregularly employed throughout the township until after his marriage.

When he reached mature years, Simon Cochrun married Lucinda Miller, a daughter of William Miller, who, with his wife Nancy, resided some two miles west of Cairo, where they reared a family well known throughout the county. Mrs. Cochrun survived her husband and later moved to Spencerville, where she died. The five children of this union were- James; Lambert Y.; William and Elizabeth, both deceased; and Jasper L.

James Cochrun, the eldest son of Simon and Lucinda Cochrun, was born in Amanda township in 1847. He was reared on the home farm, completed his education in the local schools, and, like his father, for some years combined farming and teaching. In the winter of 1865, after his return from military service in the previous August, he began his career as a teacher and continued thus employed through the four succeeding winters. He conducted a farm in section 10, Amanda township, in partnership with his younger brother, Jasper L. Cochrun, the firm making a specialty of stock-raising. After moving to Spencerville, in 1888, he continued to be interested in stock and still handles a large amount, being probably one of the best judges in that line in the county. From his dealings in live-stock was developed his butchering business, and for a number of years he conducted a fine meat-market at Spencerville, to which he later added an ice business. The latter increased to such proportions that he disposed of his meat business and devoted his attention to ice, coal, lime, sand and cement. He now controls the largest coal business in the place and is one of the town’s representative business men as well as a leading citizen in other ways.

In political sentiment Mr. Cochrun has always been a Republican. He has twice been honored by the citizens of Spencerville by election to the mayorality, and has served two terms as justice of the peace. His enlistment in February, 1865, for service in the Civil War, was for one year, but the close of hostilities brought about his honorable discharge in August of the same year. He was a member of the 191st Ohio Reg. Vol. Inf., under General Brooks and was mustered out of Company H., at Winchester, Virginia. His service had been in the Shenandoah Valley.

Mr. Cochrun was married (first) to Jennie Martin, who died in 1881, and they had two children, both of whom died in infancy. She was a daughter of Archelaus and Catherine (Russell) Martin, the latter of whom was a sister to Susanna Russell, who was the first white child born in Allen County, her birth occurring July 13, 1817; at short vAmanda:

Archelaus Martin was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, July 30, 1805, and removed in youth to Champaign County, Ohio, settling four miles east of Urbana. Subsequently he removed to Amanda township in what is now Allen County, and was the second teacher here, having 15 pupils in 1829. He later returned to Champaign County, but permanently located in Allen County, in 1833 marrying Catherine Russell, daughter of Andrew Russell, and settling in section 10, Amanda township. He was a justice of the peace for three terms.

In 1840, after Mr. Martin’s death, his widow married Hon. Charles C. Marshail. She died at Delphos, in 1871. Mr. Marshall was born in Shelby County, Ohio, in 1814, was elected to the Ohio Legislature, in 1857, and to the State Senate in 1861. In 1865 he removed to Delphos, where he served as justice of the peace, and later as mayor, being in official life for a period of Io years.

Andrew Russell was one of the founders of Fort Amanda. With his family he occupied the block-house in the southeast corner of the fort and here his daughter Susanna was born. He died in 1822, and was buried near the fort.

In 1887 Mr. Cochrun was married (second), in Amanda township, to Minnie Hover, who is a daughter of Cyrus and Martha (Post) Hover—the former of whom is deceased, while the latter resides in Lima. with her daughter, Mrs. Hitchcock. The Hover family is very numerous in Allen County and holds yearly reunions, the last one being held at old Fort Amanda. Cyrus Hover, father of Mrs. Cochrun, was an early settler of this county, locating at Lima, with his parents, in 1833. In 1846 he engaged in a foundry business, removing it to Delphos in 1850. In 1863 he purchased a farm of wild land in Amanda township, which he improved, but later removed to Spencerville and retired from active labors. On August 4, 1847, he married Martha Post, a daughter of C. C. and Elizabeth (Bryant) Post. She was born in Knox County, Ohio, August 7, 1827. Of their 11 children, Mrs. Cochran is the eighth. Mr.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in History of Allen county, Ohio and representative citizens (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.