The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-09-30
STORY OF NATHAN
TEL And MARY C0E
lRY Mrs. I. r. Coon.l

II. I. Zoe. Laurence Zoe, MIS-. EllZa-
beth Lord. Mrs. Camilla Dounell and
Mrs. Z. 5. Joslyn, also to the kindness
Of Mrs. Kittie Coe
Nathaniel Coe, a native of Morris
county, New Jersey, was born Septem-
Der II, l7SS. His father. Joel Coe, was
a native of England, bis mother. HUI
dab Horton, was a native of New York
city and, traced her ancestry in Amer
lea back five generations. Barnabas
/ Horton built the first frame building
eretced on the east end of Long Island.
Ii was built in 1860 and in June. 1873,
was still in a good state of preserva-
tion. Ii has always been owned and
occupied by a descendant of Barn8bas
| Horton, of the Horton name.
In 1895. when Nathaniel was seven
| years old, bis parents moved to Scipio,
New York, going by sloop to Albany in
four days; from there they went with
an OK team. by way Of Cayuga, Wood
Creek and Auburn TO their destination.
The entire trip required ore month.
We find no record of how his youthful
days were passed, but we learn that
early in life he was an accomplished
penman and travelled through the south
ern states teaching penmanship. and
studying the resources and conditions
of the south. Later he studied law
In the war of 1872 he was captain of a
company of soldiers from New York.
He was married in Auburn, N. Y,
October 5, 1927, to Mary Taylor White,
daughter of Laurence Emory White and
Cyria Charge. Mary White was born
| on Pearl street, near Broadway, New
York, March II, 1901. Of her early life
we know little, but, as the wife of
Nathaniel COe we find her an educated,
refined, Christian woman, an able writ
er of both prose and poetry. and fit
| ting companion to her husband. A
lovers poem, by Nathaniel Coe, to
Miss Mary White, Is still in exist
ence; the sentiments are of the lOfti-
est, while the penmanship, of Spencer
ian style, is as perfect as though made
| by modern printing press.
In 1929 they moved to Nunda, n. Y,
remaining there until they came west.
There their children were born and
spent their childhood there their two
little girls were both laid to rest; Cor
nelia at the age of ten, and Susan
Amelia in infancy. For the death of
| Cornelia the mother never ceased to
grieve. OF Susan Amelia she wrote:
'To whom, like dewdrop kissed off
by the suns morning beam,
A beauteous existence was given,
Whose soul seemed to come down to
earth in dream,
Only to wake up when it ascended to
Heaven
Nathaniel Coe possessed a thorough
education and vigorous mind. Besides
his law practice he engaged in the
mercantile business and in horticul-
ture; of the latter he was passiOnately
fond.
A writer in "Horton's Genealogy, :"
says, "te was an honest lawyer and an
upright politician and always COM
manded the respect of and esteem of
his fellow men. He was long a magis-
trate and for four years in succession
represented Livingstone and Allegheny
counties in the legislature of New
York. He was often an arbitrator,
both in the church and out of it. In
religion he was, what was then called
| by way of reproach, Radical. He
was thoroughly anti-slavery man,
and while the Liberty party was in ex-
istence, he was its firm and warm sup
| porter.
In his autograph album are found
these names: Silas Wright, Martin
Van Buren,, Hamilton Fish, j. c. Cal
houn, Samuel Tlden, Horatio Seymour,
speaker of Assembly, Millard Fillmore.
| Levi Chase and Horace Greedy.
In 1851, when he was 63 years of
age, he received the appointment of
postal agent for Oregon from President
Fillmore. To accept this trust was to
plunge into the wilderness where the
rights of the savage were unquestioned
and civilization a dream of the future.
Most people of that age would shrink
from such an undertaking, but Nathan
iel Coe did not hesitate. Accompanied
by his son, Eugene, he came by the
way of the lsthmus to Portland, Ore,
where he established his headquarters.
From there postal routes were laid
from British Columbia to California,
from the Pacific ocean to the Rocky
mountains. Wherever the pioneer had
blazed the way the postman was made
to follow with his letters and papers
from home.
Postal Agent Coe travelled many long
miles in canoe, on horseback or on foot,
enduring hardhsips and fatigue that
would have disheartened the majority
of younger men. After two years of
this work he was so we'll pleased with
the country that he sent for his family
to join him. On December IL, 1853,
Mrc Goo apJ bor tbraa ppnp
Charles and Henry, embarked on the
side wheel steamer, Georgia. Eight
days later they reached the city of As
pinWall, now known as the city of Co.
lon. The town then consisted of few
small houses, with a sea beach in front
and tropical forest behind.
In crossing the isthmus they had sew
real very thrilling experiences. Mrs.
Coe rode mule and Henry, nine years
of age, was carried on the back of the
native guide. Laurence and Charles
walked. Five days were consumed in
going from Apsinwall to Panama, where
Mrs. COe and Henry took passage on
the steamer California for San Fran
cicso. Laurence and Charles were de-
tanned to look after the baggage until
next steamer day. Henry was very i'll
with Panama fever On the trip up the
coast and Mrs. Coe waited ia San Fran
cisco with him, until the arrival of the
other sons, when they all took passage
on the steamer Fremont for Portland,
which they reached after a tempestu-
Gus voyage. Mr.. Coe and Eugene were
there to welcome them to the Land of
Promise. They were entertained by
MIR. and Mrs. Thos. j. Dryer, at their
residence in Portland. MIR. Dryer was
founder and editor of the Oregonian.
The reunited family remained in Port
land some months looking for loca-
tion.
At one time they decided to secure
land on the east side of the Willamette
river, just across from the village of
Portland, and an option was taken on a
large number of acres. Then the grand
eur and wild beauty of eastern Oregon,
the glorious climate, the advantages of
a lbcation in the gorge of the great