Wright L. Coffinberry
It was our privilege to meet with many of the old pioneers of Richland County at the residence of Henry C. Hedges on the afternoon and evening of Tuesday last. Mr. Wright L. Coffinberry, now and for nearly forty years past a leading citizen of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been for some weeks visiting the scenes of his childhood and early manhood in this county, and the assemblage at Mr. Hedges' was in his honor. Many of our older citizens graced the event by their presence, notably among them -- Hon. Jas. Purdy, now 91 years of age; Dr. Wm. Bushnell, who was born in 1800; Dr. Jno. Mack of Shelby; Thos. B. Andrews, of Washington Twp.; Dr. Bricker of Shelby; George McFarland of Washington Twp.; L.J. Sprengle of Ashland; Samuel Stevenson of Weller Twp.; Wm. A. Robinson of Weller Twp.; Dr. Kendig of Hayesville, and a large number of others, old men, middle-aged men, and young men of the city and county. Mr. Coffinberry, the honored guest of the evening, after supper served on the lawn, addressed the company, giving incident after incident within his memory of the pioneer days. Mr. Coffinberry was born in 1807, and came to Mansfield with his parents in 1809. His father cut out the first road from Wheeling west to the Muskingum River, and moved on to the Northwest and settled at Mansfield. Here on his farm he spent the remainder of a long life.
From THE MANSFIELD HERALD: June 26, 1884, Vol. 34, No. 32