James M. Cochran
James M. Cochran, one of the well-known residents of Marion township and a veterinarian of great skill, belongs to one of the very old families of Tennessee, which is also numbered among the old and honored pioneer families of Allen County. His male ancestors were distinguished both in the War of the Revolution and in the War of 1812.
James M. Cochran, the great-grandfather of the present James M., was born in Scotland and came to America prior to the Revolutionary War. He settled among the mountains of Tennessee, took an active part in the affairs of his section, participated in the border wars and, as far as known, protected his property and family in those pioneer days, as became a man of sturdy courage. His three sons were named, William, Benjamin and Isaac.
William Cochran, the eldest, was our subject's paternal grandfather. He was born in Tennessee and served seven years in the Indian wars of his native State. In the War of 1812 he also served as a soldier and for this service received a land grant of 100 acres located in Paulding County, Ohio. He had settled, prior to this, among the pioneers of Ross County, Ohio, where he married Betsey Mannery, a lady of Irish extraction and of Revolutionary ancestry. To this marriage were born 10 children, of whom the following reached mature years: John M., Jane, James, Catherine, Nancy and William. Of these. John M. was treasurer of Putnam County. When he went to the county seat to make settlement, he carried the funds in his wallet on horseback, the amount at that time not exceeding $60. William, his brother, was one of the early sheriffs of Putnam County, a representative man of his day, prominent in political and business life.
William Cochran the elder was an able man and left the impress of his sterling character on every locality in which he lived. From Ross County he moved in 1821 to what is now Allen County. He "squatted" on a small farm on the Auglaize River and during his short period of residence cleared up one field. This farm, located in section 4, Marion township, is now owned by the King family and is occupied by a Mr. Wagner. After the land came into the market Benjamin Cochran bought it and William then removed to the farm now occupied by Mr. Long, located two miles north of Dr. Cochran's home in section 22, with the Auglaize River bordering it on the west. Later he bought 103 acres at Middlepoint, at the age of 88 years, one of the few survivors of the pioneers who had came to Allen County before the Shawnee Indians had departed. He served officially in Putnam (Allen) County, and was a circuit court judge, being appointed at Kalida, Ohio.
James Cochran, the third son of William Cochran and father of Dr. Cochran, was born in Ross County, Ohio, November 25, 1804. Born among pioneer surroundings, his education was limited. School terms were of short duration in those days and accommodations necessarily poor in the small, hastily constructed log school-houses; but he possessed the native ability of his family and was reckoned among the well-informed men of his day. The large amount of active, outdoor exercise involved in clearing and cultivating the pioneer farm, gave him a stalwart frame and the robust health which prolonged his years for beyond those of his contemporaries. He died in Marion township, Allen County, June 12, 1893. His son, our subject, can recall many of the conditions of pioneer life from his own experience and many others from hearsay, and they are very interesting as presenting a picture so different from what may be seen here at the present day.
The family home was built first of round logs, right in the forest, but a more secure one was later constructed of hewed logs. The clearing of the 100 acres, on which Dr. Cochran now resides, was done with ox teams, the great strength of the oxen performing the tasks which now would be done by machinery. Mr. Cochran used the old wooden mold-board plow and threshed his grain with a flail. The Shawnee Indians were yet a powerful tribe in this section, in fact, when Mr. Cochran came to the county he had but three families of white neighbors. Treating the Indians with justice, Mr. Cochran made friends with the braves and they traded together to their mutual benefit, and no Indians ever endangered the peace of his family. With the assistance of his white neighbors, Mr. Cochran blazed paths through the forests. Wild animals still roamed all through this section, the wolves and deer coming to the very door. A number of the latter were shot from the doorstep, for food. The larder was also easily supplied with fish from the clear Auglaize River.
For household supplies it was necessary to go to Defiance by boat, and to Pickaway with grain for the mill, the latter trip being one of importance and requiring a week's absence form home. With his neighbors Mr. Cochran assisted in the building of the canal, worked in the timber getting out material for the building of the locks on the same, and also worked on flatboats which were built at Wapakoneta for use on the river.
James Cochran was twice, married; first on September 10, 1826, to Julia Ann Russell, who was a daughter of one of the first settlers in Amanda township, where he located in 1817, lived at Fort Amanda and was a large Indian trader. The children of this marriage were: William, who was born in 1829, and two daughters, both of whom died. The mother of these children died in 1834. Two years later Mr. Cochran married Isabella Sunderland, and 12 children were born to this union, the survivors being: Elizabeth, wife of Isaac Stemen, of Huntington, Indiana; Julia Ann, wife of Henry Temple, of Convoy, Ohio; Mary, wife of Robert Martin, of Nebraska; James, the subject of this sketch; Ellen, wife of William Daniels, of Missouri; Nancy, wife of Clarence Hurlbutt, of German township; and Orlando, a resident of Boston, Massachusetts. Hattie, deceased, was the wife of Frank Elder. George served in the Civil War as a member of McLaughlin's Squad, Ohio Cavalry, and was taken prisoner in Stoneman's raid. He was incarcerated in Andersonville Prison and died in Mellon Prison in October, 1848. James Cochran was a magistrate in Marion township and served in a number of the township offices. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church.
James M. Cochran, the immediate subject of this sketch, was educated in the schools of Marion township, in which township he has always had his residence. When not more than seven years of age, he assisted in filling in the embankment of the P., Ft. W. & C. Railway near his home, hauling the dirt in his little cart. He well remembers the old days of harvesting, when he used the old-fashioned cradle almost from sunrise to sunset, for 75 cents a day. His present fine farm is operated by a tenant along modern lines. His beautiful residence and substantial farm buildings are very noticeable from the Lima turnpike road, the highway which passes his gate.
Dr. Cochran has always taken more than the usual interest that an agriculturist and stockman takes in the health and development of animals, appreciating their many admirable qualities and understanding their structure and ailments. During the Civil War, as a member of Company B, McLaughlin's Squad, Ohio Cavalry, he put many of his theories into practice, which resulted in the saving of many horses to the service. Since 1880 he has given almost constant attention to a veterinary practice which extends all over the county. He has attended no college; but he has gained a wonderful amount of useful knowledge in his progression through practical experience and real interest in his work.
Dr. Cochran has been twice married; first to Ellen Roush, who was a daughter of Jacob Roush of Amanda township. The death of his first wife and two sons, William S. and Edward, left him not only with his domestic peace disturbed, but just at that time overcome with financial difficulties, in fact without a dollar. He was living on his father-in-law's farm and Mr. Roush insisted upon his remaining there. Through great industry and perseverance he managed to regain his financial standing, and now is one of the substantial men of the township. In 1878 he married second, Catherine Baxter, who is a daughter of Samuel Baxter. He has one daughter by his first marriage, Almerta, who is the wife of Charles Ford, of Marion township. The three children of his second union are: Dora, wife of Jesse S. Myers, who resides in Marion township, south of the homestead; Orlando Bertrue, living at home ; and Viola, wife of Ernest East, of Cleveland, Ohio.
Dr. Cochran remained for a time on Mr. Roush's farm in Amanda township, then rented the homestead farm and finally purchased it. It is a fine property and possesses more than the usual amount of interest for the Doctor, as he assisted very materially in the clearing of the greater part of it from the primitive forest.