James W. Coulter

JAMES W. COULTER, whose sudden death on Sept. 2d, 1910, caused a shock, not only to the people of Gabon, among whom he lived, but also throughout Crawford county generally, was a lawyer of prominence and was highly esteemed as a man and citizen. He was born in West Bedford, Coshocton county, O., July 4, 1846, a son of Richard M. and Phoebe (Greer) Coulter. The father, long since deceased, was a native of Cumberland county, Pa., and of German ancestry. His wife, Phoebe, w bom he married in Ohio, was born in Belfast, Ireland, her people being prominent and well-to-do residents of that city. Coming to America, they settled in Coshocton county, O., where they spent the rest of their lives, except that Mrs. Phoebe Greer, alter her husband’s death,, went to live with her son-in-law, ( W. Aldrich, Id.. D., editor of the Monthly Jurist, at Bloomington, Illinois.

James W. Coulter was educated at Spring Mountain, Coshocton county, O., and later at Mt. Vernon, O., He subsequently took up his residence in Bucyrus and read law w ith I Ion. A. M. Jackson and lion. Thomas Beer, and was admitted to the bar in 18OO. lie immediately located in Gabon, where he subsequently practiced his profession until the close of his life — a period of 44 years. He was a highly successful lawyer and an active and useful citizen, serving four years as prosecuting attorney of the county, six years as a member of the board of county school examiners, also four years a member of the board of education, being president of that body for a part of the time. Several years previous to his death he became associated professionally with Attorney Frank Pigman, of Coshocton county, the firm being known as Coulter & Pigman. As a law'yer Mr. Coulter was keenly perceptive, incisive, logical, and spirited in debate, yet courteous, and was generally recognized as the head of the Gabon bar. Lie is also an excellent business man, was the owner of several farms, a director in the bank and a stockholder in many of Gabon’s industries. Idis sound judgment was manifested both in the conduct of his own affairs and in those of others that were entrusted to him. His opinions had much weight with local capitalists and he uniformly seconded his views by liberal donations on investments, and habitually helped to advance the private enterprises of his fellow citizens, as far as he could do so consistently with correct business principles.

Previous to the last twelve years of his life he was active in the management of the affairs of the Democratic party, to which he belonged; was the choice of his county some years ago for the congressional nomination and was frequently suggested as an available man for a judgeship, at one time declining to he the candidate, although nomination meant election, lie was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and a member and active worker in the First Methodist church. On Friday night, Sept. 2d, 1910, he attended a meeting of the council board of the church anti took part in its proceedings. He complained of not feeling very well and on the way home he and his w ife stopped at the office of Dr. G. ( Marsh. While here he was taken very ill and in about half an hour afterward expired on a couch in

— — the Marsh home, in spite of the administrations of Dr. Marsh and Dr. O. L. Hoffman, who had been called in. The cause of his death was a serious disorder of the stomach.

James W. Coulter was married Feb. 24, 1886, to Miss Flora Hetrick, a daughter of Samuel and Parintha (Pancoast) Hetrick, born April 14, 1865, the night that President Lincoln was assassinated. Her paternal grandfather was Jacob Hetrick, a native of Germany, who with four brothers, came to the United States more than a century ago, locating in Cumberland county, Pa. Jacob there married Lydia Winter, daughter of John and Catherine (Mickley) Winter, who were of German descent. They had four sons and five daughters— -John, Jacob, Michael, Samuel, Catherine, Mary, Elizabeth, Lydia (Mrs. Hetrick) and Susan.

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Helmet — grey, blue and yellow. Paulet banner— red, blue and white. Feathers — blue, shading to yellow. Long Bar — indigo blue. Wreath of pink roses — rose mixed with scarlet, very light grew for shading.

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Samuel Hetrick w'as born in Morrow county, O., March 6, 1842. He was a stock dealer and breeder, doing an extensive business along these lines for many years. In 1865 he came to Gabon and opened the first livery barn in the place. So much interested was he in the breeding of fine horses that he built a race course here in 1876. For twenty years he was chief of the fire department and broke the first team of horses to the fire truck on the establishment of the department. By the fire ladies he w'as known as Captain Hetrick and he proved himself an able man in this line of work and was universally respected as a useful and enterprising citizen. He was a Republican in politics and wras the only man of his party to be elected to office in this Democratic city. Born March 6, 1842, he died in April, 1905, at the age of 63 years.

He w as married in Morrow county to Miss Parintha Pancoast, a daughter of Dr. ITezekiah Pancoast, who was prominent as a physician in the early history of this section. In her young womanhood Miss Pancoast taught school at Rocky Fork, in Lincoln county, O., and this school and its teachers were afterwards made the subjects of a novel by Mary Hartwell Catherwood, under the title of ‘‘Rocky Fork.” The teacher, Mrs. Hetrick, died in Gabon May 6, 1898, at the age of 65 years. She was a member of the Methodist church. Tw'O of her children are now living — Flora (Mrs. Coulter), and a son, C. S. Hetrick, formerly city auditor of Gabon. The latter is married hut has no children.

Mrs. Coulter is an educated and cultured lady and is prominent in Gabon society. She is a member of the official board and at present is president of the Ladies’ Aid Society of First Methodist Episcopal church. In 1893 she was one of the organizers of the Current News Cluh, She has no surviving children.

As printed in History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.