The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-09-06
SKETCH OF ELISHA n. COLEMAN, ONE
OF THE PIONEERS OF OHIO COUNTY.
An Active, Good and Useful Life.

| Mr.. EllSha I'll. Coleman, iather OF Kew.
]. S. Coleman, who recently died in
Hartford in the S9th year of his age, was
the Oldest and one of the most remark
able men in Ohio county in many re-
spects. He was born on Beaver Dam
fork OF Muddy creek, where the town Of
Beaver Dam now stands, january 6, 1906.
He departed this life, August Z, 1898,
aged SS years, months and 2 days. He
was the eldest son of Henry Coleman,
who was the youngest son of Martin
Coleman, who emigrated from Germany
to America in about 1859, which was
about seventeen years before indepen.
dence was declared.
The first home that the elder Martin
Coleman found upon the soil of the
Ozark and Bloody" ground, was in the
ratification called "Barnett's Fort" near
where the town of Hartford now stands.
Here Henry Coleman, who was the
father of f. II. Coleman, was born and
remained with his parents until he was
three years old, when the savages which
then infested the forest, were driven out
OF the country. The elder Coleman set
tied on a small tributary OF Muddy creek
to which he gave the name of "Beaver
DAM" for the reason that the beavers,
which were then numerous, were ac-
customed to obstruct the little streams
by building their houses or dams across
it or in il by which the water was spread
over the adjacent low lands but would
again collect in its channel only to be
INSTRUCTED by another beaver dam. Here
Henry Coleman, father of E. III, Coleman
was reared from three years old up, and
continued to be citizen OF the same spot
until his death in 1850 at the age OF rs
years. In his early manhood he mar
ried Delilah Hooker, by which wife he
became the father Of twenty-three chill
dren, Elisha II. being the eldest son,
who also being born there, continued to
reside upon the same original tract Of
land until the last few years.
At the age of 90 years he welded SUI
sannah II. Maddox, who in 1927 became
the mother of-the Rev. James Smith
Coleman, ID. D., who himself was born
in sight of his fathers birthplace and
also on the spot where his grandfather
was reared from three years up, it being
the spot first settled by the original Mar
tin Coleman.
Few families settling in this wilderness
at the time have chung with more
tenacity to the place OF their nativity.
Reared in this border country, Elisha IL.
Coleman enjoyed but few-and they the
most mperfect-facilities for intellectual
culture or mental education. But he had
wisdom to make the best possible APP
preparation of these and hence by close
and persistent study, he attained to the
possession of such qualifications as pre-
pared him to discharge the duties OF a
plain, practical business man. He served
acceptably in divers local positions and
offices, always evincing the most sterling
integrity and accuracy in all his trans
actions. AS it relates to the affairs Of
life, the least that can be said, is that
Elisha III. Coleman was an honest man.
He was not successful in the accumula-
ton OF wealth, but he was in the attain
ment of solid and unimpeachable char
acter. AS religionist he was profound
in his convictions, sound in theory, I'M
swerving in his integrity, and ardent in
his devotions, never stopping to inquire
as to its popularity or unpopularity, but
simply to ask. 'Is it right?" AS a de-
nominationalist, he was Baptist of the
highest and strictest order. While in
his religion he was conservative and
courteous, in his denominationalism he
was incorporating.
In February, 1888, he united with the
Baptist church at Pond Run and received
batsm at the hands of Rev. Alfred Tay-
Tor, whose praise at time was in all the
churches Of this land. In June, 1888, he
united with the church at Beaver Dam
by letter and continued TO hold his
membership there up to the day of his
death. AS Christian and church mem
Der, he was both active and useful, being
regular, content and liberal in his sup
port of the church, always ready and
willing to meet the responsibilities inn
posed upon him by his brethren or made
necessary by the wants Of the church.
He was ordained to the deaconship in
1916, in which capacity he served the
church in great faithfulness during all
the days of the activity.-owensboro
Messenger.