Draft:Reuben Fryer Coffin

• Comment: Good work so far on this article. However, unfortunately, in order to prove notability, an article needs to references 2-3 sources which are reliable, independent, secondary sources, which talk about the subject of the Wikipedia article at length. Almost all of the useful secondary sources you have referenced are obituaries… while these CAN count for notability purposes, they are not considered strong proof of notability due to their commonplace nature. Articles written about the subject while he was alive are much stronger. As it stands, this article is very close to being acceptable, but really needs some extra source written about Reuben Coffin while he was alive. Good luck and keep up the hard work 👍 Absurdum4242 (talk) 07:46, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

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Reuben Fryer Coffin
Born	(1842-11-15)November 15, 1842 Roxbury, Delaware County, New York
Died	(1928-12-09)December 9, 1928 Longmont, Bouder County, Colorado
Cause of death	Pneumonia
Known for	Civil War veteran (19th Illinois Infantry), Longmont pioneer and early Colorado settler
Spouse	Lydia E Coffin (nee Gregg)
Children	5
Parents	Jacob Coffin (father) Mary Ann Coffin (nee Hull) (mother)

Reuben Fryer Coffin ((1842-11-15)November 15, 1842 - (1928-12-09)December 9, 1928) was an American Civil War veteran and early Colorado settler who became one of the pioneer residents of the Longmont area. Born in Roxbury, New York, he served in the 19th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War before migrating west, where he established a homestead in the St. Vrain Valley on April 1, 1866. Coffin was part of the first generation of farmers and community builders who contributed to the development of Longmont, and several of his siblings later joined him in the region, forming a multi‑household pioneer family.

Early Life

Reuben was born to Jacob Coffin (1800-1876) and Mary Ann Coffin (nee Hull, 1809-1850) in Roxbury, Delaware County, New York.

The family moved to Illinois between his birth in 1842 and his sister's in 1845.

Civil War

Coffin enlisted as a private in Company G of the 19th Illinois Infantry on July 10, 1861, and was mustered into service at Chicago later that month. His company was later converted into an artillery unit in early 1863 and detached as Bridges’ Battery, Illinois Light Artillery under Capt. Lyman Bridges, in which he served for the remainder of the war.

Coffin participated in several major engagements in the Western Theater, including the battles of Stones River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, and Allatoona Pass.

Battle of Stones River

(Dec 31, 1862 – Jan 2, 1863) A major Union–Confederate clash in Tennessee that ended in a strategic Union victory. It helped secure Middle Tennessee for the Union and boosted Northern morale after earlier setbacks. Reuben fought in this battle as infantry with the 19th Illinois.

Battle of Chickamauga

(Sept 19–20, 1863) One of the bloodiest battles of the Western Theater. The Union army was driven from the field, but its stand at Horseshoe Ridge prevented destruction of the Army of the Cumberland. Bridges’ Battery was heavily engaged, and Reuben served here as artillery.

Battle of Missionary Ridge

(Nov 25, 1863) A decisive Union victory in the Chattanooga Campaign. Union troops made an unexpected uphill assault that broke Confederate lines and opened the gateway to the Deep South. Bridges’ Battery supported the attack with artillery fire.

Battle of Resaca

(May 13–15, 1864) One of the opening battles of Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign. Union forces forced the Confederates to withdraw southward, beginning the series of maneuvers that led to the fall of Atlanta. Bridges’ Battery provided artillery support during the engagement.

Battle of Allatoona Pass

(Oct 5, 1864) A small but intense battle where Union forces successfully defended a vital supply depot on the Western & Atlantic Railroad. The famous “Hold the fort!” message came from this fight. Bridges’ Battery took part in the artillery defense.

Discharge and Return to Civilian Life

Coffin was mustered out at Chicago on June 27, 1864, and returned to Illinois, where he farmed rented land until migrating to Colorado in 1866.

Colorado Pioneer

After mustering out of the Union Army in 1864, Coffin remained in Chicago for two years before migrating west in early 1866. He traveled across the plains with a team of horses and arrived on the St. Vrain near the mouth of Boulder Creek on April 1, 1866. Coffin first worked as a farmer for two years and then as a teamster on the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. By 1869 he was freighting between Denver, Cheyenne, Black Hawk, and Central City, hauling goods into the mountain mining districts.

In 1871 Coffin filed a soldier’s homestead claim on 160 acres near Burlington, south of present‑day Longmont, where no other houses were visible at the time. He expanded his holdings over the following decades until his ranch totaled roughly 500 acres. He helped construct the Oligarchy Ditch—one of the earliest upland irrigation ditches in the St. Vrain Valley—and planted the walnut grove that gave his farm the name “Walnut Grove.” Coffin became a prominent early settler of the Longmont area and was active in the St. Vrain Valley Pioneers’ Association, the Grand Army of the Republic, and the local Masonic lodge.

Freighting and Frontier Work

In addition to farming and homesteading, Coffin spent several years working as a freighter during the late 1860s, hauling goods by wagon between Denver, Cheyenne, Black Hawk, and Central City. His work took him regularly into the mountain mining districts at a time when overland freight was the primary means of supplying Colorado’s rapidly growing settlements. Coffin also freighted for the Union Pacific Railroad during its construction period, contributing to the transportation network that supported early regional development. These activities placed him among the early teamsters who connected the isolated communities of the Front Range and mountain corridor before the arrival of rail service.

Family Migration to Colorado

Several members of the Coffin family migrated to Colorado during the early settlement period. Reuben’s older sister Ellen Coffin Pennock crossed the plains in 1862, taught school in Boulder in 1863, and lived with her brothers Morse and George Coffin on their ranch near present‑day Longmont. Her obituary described her as “one of the earliest of the pioneer women to come to Boulder County.” George and Morse Coffin were already established in the area by the early 1860s, and their sister Emma (Coffin) Daniels also settled in Longmont. Reuben joined his siblings in 1866, homesteading land near Burlington and becoming one of the early settlers of the St. Vrain Valley.

Civic Contributions

Contemporary accounts described Coffin as “one of Longmont’s foremost citizens” and “one of the earliest settlers of the St. Vrain valley,” reflecting his long involvement in the civic and social development of the community. He served as a juror at the historic Fort Latham courthouse in 1876, helped build early irrigation works, and participated actively in the St. Vrain Valley Pioneers’ Association. His long residence in the region made him a central figure in Longmont’s early history, and his funeral drew large attendance from civic organizations, with the municipal flag flown at half‑mast in his honor.

Family Prominence

Coffin’s children also became prominent in Colorado public life. His sons included Major Roy Coffin, a World War I veteran and mayor of Fort Collins; Claude C. Coffin, an attorney and later a district judge of Colorado’s Eighth Judicial District; Stanley Coffin, a Spanish–American War veteran and businessman; and Clair and Vinton Coffin, both geologists with the Midwest Oil Company. Their careers in law, public service, education, and industry reflected the Coffin family’s continuing influence on the civic and economic development of northern Colorado.

Personal Life

Coffin married Lydia E. Gregg at the Congregational Church in Longmont in 1877, and the couple raised six children on their Walnut Grove farm. He was active in local fraternal and veterans’ organizations, including the St. Vrain Valley Pioneers’ Association, the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Masonic lodge, in which he held leadership roles. Coffin was remembered by contemporaries as a widely respected citizen whose long residence in the St. Vrain Valley made him a familiar figure in community affairs. He and his wife celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1927, a milestone noted by the local press. Coffin remained active into old age and lived in Longmont until his death in 1928.

Family

Reuben's parents were Jacob Coffin (1800-1876) and Mary Ann Coffin (nee Hull, 1809-1850).

He had 11 siblings, two of whom died young.. One brother, William Hull Coffin, stayed in Illinois. His youngest sister, Janie Matilida Coffin, died at 1 or 2. Two brothers, Morse Houghtaling Coffin, George W. Coffin, and two sisters Sabrah Ellen Pennock (nee Coffin), and Emma Daniels (nee Coffin) all migrated with Reuben to the Longmont Colorado area. Miles Darby Coffin, Sarah Maria Coffin, and Elizabeth Caroline Coffin are the other siblings that made it to adulthood.

Reuben had five children. Major Roy Gregg Coffin served in the US Army during World War I., Claude Carleton Coffin was a district judge, Reuben Clare Coffin, was a respected geologist for whom the mineral coffinite was named in his honor in 1955,. Vinton Orville Coffin, and Ruby C Harrington (nee Coffin) were his youngest children.

Reuben's middle name, Fryer, is from his father Jacob's mother Eleanor's maiden name.

Clare is a descendent of Tristram Coffin (settler), as are most US Coffins.