Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-05-25
William COburn, the Cente-
marian Stone-mason, Buried
Yesterday.
WAS IN 1OoTH YEAR.
Death Resulted From an Ac-
cident That Disabled Him
a Month Ago.

William Coburn, the oldest man
In all this section, died Thursday
night at the extreme old age of 108
years, 3 months and ID days. He
died at the home of his son-in-law,
Thomas Clark, five miles from the
city, on the Newst cad pike. Old as
he was, he died of an accident.
William Coburn was by many
years the oldest person in this part
of the State and was perhaps the
oldest person in Kentucky. He was
born in the Cheviot Hills of Scotland,
Feb. 8, 1899, and his fathers real
name was Morton. His father de-
serted from the English army, after
wards taking the name of Cock
burn. His son corrupted the spell
ing of the name into Coburn. In
early life he learned the trade Of a
stone-mason and worked on the
bridge over the river Clyde. At
that time he had friend and fellow
workman named Thomas j. Imerson,
who stayed with him until his death
a few years ago, being known in this
country as Thomas Johnson.
VIM. Coburn came to America in
1882, being at that time 33 years of
age. johnson came with him and
they drifted to Nashville, Tenn,
where Coburn soon afterwards mar
ried the daughter of Scotch dairy
man named Graham, who was born
on shipboard when her parents inn
migrated to this country. While
living in Nashville the war came on
and Coburn was enlisted from Nash
vile in the Union army. After a
short time he left and joined the
Confederate army and remained in
it until the end of the war. He and
his friend Johnson then came to
Christian county and bought stone
quarry near Union School House.
where they worked at their trade for
forty years. Coburn had two chill
dren, a son and a daughter. The
son died years ago. The daughter
is now the wife of Tom c. Clark and
his son-in-law and grandsons still
carry on the stone business as the
old man did 40 years ago.
William Coburn and his friend,
Johnson. were both hard drinkers
and they had many spree together. |
When Johnson died, about eight |
years ago, it was hard blow to his
old crony, then about 100 years of
age. His wife died about that time.
The old man retained his wonderful |
vigor, and as late as last year
worked at his trade, and last winter
he sat by the roadside half blind and
broke stone by the yard and sold 100
yards to the county for turnpike
purposes. A few months ago he be-
came entirely blind and had to quit
work. On April Fl, while cropping
his way about the place he slipped
and fell striking his thigh on chair,
which completely disabled him.
One remarkable circumstance fol-
lowing his injury was that the shock
to his system in a measure restored
both his eyesight and his hearing,
which had almost entirely failed.
Several years ago he had his second
sight, so that this last resto.
ration was his third sight"
For the last four or five weeks the
old man has been gradually failing.
The day before his death he seemed
to be much better, but it proved to
be the last stand in the battle for
life. The aged sufferer had a final
relapse Thursday and passed away.
He was buried yesterday with
simple rites in the corner of his
yard, near the spot where he had
lived SO long. and maidstone cut
from his own beloved quarry will
be erected to mark his
grave.