Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-04-08

wagon for $40 cash, as Mr.. COul-
son expressed it, he was fined $2J
for being poor This was Mr. Coul-
sons first start in business. ant
from that humble beginning he be-
came one of the leading merchants
of the Muskingum river valley. Fol
some time he drove his huckstei
wagon over Penn, Union and Wind
sor townships, ofttimes the roads
being almost impossible. Not long
after Mr.. Coulson entered the firm
Mr.. Harmer sold his interest in the
store to his partners, and the firm
name was Hilaman & COulson. This
firm continued for about two years
1t was in March, 1873. that Mr.. Coul-
son came to Malta and secured en-
plOyment as salesman with the Rog-
ers, Thomas & Company store on
the river bank, in the building
which was washed away in the 191 3
flood. Besides the store named
other leading stores of Malta at that
time were John Hall & Son, where
Coulson's store is now; Updike q;
Morris. where the NJ & M. Produce
is located, and Corner, Walker e
Davis. just above the railroad track
in the building now used by the
Malta Hardware. In 1875 the John
Hall & Company store failed. and
Messrs. A. A. Coulson and C. w.
Davis purchased the stock of goods.
Thus the store Mr.. CoulsOn founded
has occupied the present location
for 62 years. 1t was in the year
1884 that Mr.. Davis sold his inter-
est in the store to Mr.. Coulson, and
moved to Cleveland. A little later
Messrs. s. B. Gillespie and A. B.
Cope, the latter a brother-in-law Of
Mr.. Coulson, became associated
with him in the business, the firm
name becoming A. A. CoulsOn Il
Company. In 1889, Messrs. Gill
lespie and Cope retired from the
firm, and in 1890 partnership was
formed, consisting of A. A. Coulson.
w. e. Dye, S. A. Murduck and c. F.
Settle. and the firm name became
Coulson. Dye & Company. This
firm continued until 1892, when
Mr.. Coulson became sole proprietor
and the name has since been A. A.
Coulson & Company. In more re-
cent years the store management
has been largely in the hands OF
Mr.. Coulson's Oldest son, Mr.. Fred
d. COulson.
Briefly the foregoing is a history
Of Mr.. Coulson as relating to his
business life. His store has been
referred to as the Marshall Field OF
Morgan county, and few places the
size of Malta have had such com
plete department store, carrying SO
large a stock of goods. While Mr..
Coulson's stock in trade so to
speak was his store, yet he was in
terested in other lines of business,
being stockholder and at the time OF
his death vice president of the NAL
ia Manufacturing Company. He was
associated with DR.. Humphrey IN
the real estate business, they own
ing a number of business rooms ann
living quarters in Malta, and until
he transferred it to his son, MI.
Coulson owned the White front
building here. He was for many
years a stockholder and director in
both the Malta National bank and
the Malta Building & Loan, and was
a stockholder in the First National
bank, McConnelsville.
Civil War Soldier
Both A. A. Coulson and his faith
er, Jesse Coulson, were soldiers 0f
the Civil war The latter was a
member of Company D, 9th 0. V. /.
He died Of wounds received in the
battle OF Kennesaw Mountain. His
son, A. A. Coulson, enlisted in Corn
pany G., 161st O. v. l., at the age OF
16 years, and was among the young
est Civil war soldiers from Morgan
county. Mr.. Coulson never made