The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-07-25

Frederic William Coon was born June
ID, 1850, at Utica, Wisconsin, and was
the eldest son of Capt. w. H. H. Coon
and Harmlna Burdick Coon. The earl
Ter years of his life were passed on the
farm of his father at Utica, where he
attended the district school, and later
Albion Academy, then famous as an
educational institution, finishing at the
University of Wisconsin and gradual
ing with the class of 1873.
On May 3rd, 1875, Frederic w. Coon
and Miss Clara McDougal were united
in marriage at Utica, Wisconsin, and to
this union were born five children.
They are Mrs. D. F. Heddles of Paonia,
Colo; Mrs. c. H. Mcintyre, Chicago,
ILL.,; Mrs. Edward l. Rankin, North
Yakima, WASH; Mrs. r. L. Mcintosh
of this city, and F. Warren Coon, now
located in Minneapolis, Mimi, all of
whom were present at the funeral ex-
cepting Mrs. Rankin.
His newspaper work began with the
purchase, in 1873, of paper at Ocono-
mowoc called "The Local" which he
conducted for short time and in the
year 1881 he became proprietor and
editor of the Wisconsin Tobacco Re-
porter, having purchased it from the
W. F. Tousley estate, and in 1883
moved his family here.
Since 1881 the centralizing of the
tobacco industry in Edgerton was due
in part to- the efforts put forth by Mr..
Coon through the columns of The Re-
porter. A well versed man in the
growing, handling and marketing of
tobacco, his views at all times have
commanded the attention of those in
terested in the business and produced
results beneficial to both grower and
dealer, bringing about conditions which
largely helped in making Edgerton the
worlds greatest cigar leaf market.
Mr., Coon served at the clerks desk
in both houses of the state legislature:
was member of the Civil Service
Commission of Wisconsin since 1917;
was secretary of the Wisconsin Press
Association for fifteen years; was one
of the original organizers of the Edger-
Electric Light company and of the
Edgerton Telephone company, being
president of the latter company at the
time of his death; has always been
civically and financially interested in
helping to promote those ventures
intended to make larger and better
Edgerton.
A most intimate friend and one who
has wisely measured Mr.. Coon's quail
fications as man among men has
expressed himself in the following
paragraphs:
'The life and work of country editor
and newspaper publisher is essentially
one of intimate connections with his
community. By daily contact the ed
itor of country paper comes close to
the personal relationships of people.
He leads civic development, speaks the
mind of his community and in better
sense typifies what is the consensus of
opinion. No editor in Wisconsin brought
to his work a more intelligent equip
ment than did Frederic w. Coon His
early education, in the schooling days
of broad scholarship rather than in
the modern time of specification, under
the preliminary influence of old Albion
Academy and afterwards under the
early masters of the Wisconsin Uni
versity, fitted him educatively to be an
educator through his paper AS boy
he started upon good foundation. His
schooling, in the days when college
courses meant broad general scholar
ship, gave him, among his fellow edit
ors in Wisconsin, distinctive educa-
tional advantage.
1t IS as editor of The Reporter for a
period of SO years that Frederic
w. Coon achieved distinction through