Jesse Coffin was born sometime between 1803-1807
Jesse Coffin drowned in the Ohio river on March 20, 1836, having walked off the boat in his sleep, being a somnambulist (sleep walker). On the boat he would tie himself with a rope every night, but that particular fatal night he probably untied himself while asleep. He was not missed until morning, so the body floated far down the river.
A great granddaughter recalls the story that her mother told, grandfather Jesse Coffin shipped farm products from Indiana down the river to New Orleans. On one of his trips the girls went with him. His daughter Sarah had gathered walnuts at a stop they made, and put them on the boat to dry. She had gone up to see about them, and her father, who did not know she was there, started to turn the boat and knocked her into the river. He jumped in and rescued her. On a later trip, the night he was drowned, she fell asleep at once. Grandfather Jesse Coffin and another man stayed up until midnight. They were near the spot where Sarah had fallen into the river and Jesse was telling this man about it. He asked the man to throw his rope across him when they lay down, but the man was so tired he did not remember whether he did so or not. Later they awakened him and told him his friend had jumped overboard. As he jumped, he cried "There she goes". They supposed he was dreaming about Sarah falling into the river. He had jumped where the wheel would draw him under. He was wearing an overcoat. The boat was stopped and they searched for him, without success. This happened on the Ohio river.
A few days later a woman whose husband had drowned was looking for his body and saw a body lodged in driftwood. The body was recovered and papers in the pockets revealed great grandfather's name and address. This strange woman had his body buried and sent the remainder of his money, his watch knife & etc. to his wife. No one knows for sure the exact spot he is buried.
Jesse Coffin drowned in the Ohio river on March 20, 1836, having walked off the boat in his sleep, being a somnambulist (sleep walker). On the boat he would tie himself with a rope every night, but that particular fatal night he probably untied himself while asleep. He was not missed until morning, so the body floated far down the river.
A great granddaughter recalls the story that her mother told, grandfather Jesse Coffin shipped farm products from Indiana down the river to New Orleans. On one of his trips the girls went with him. His daughter Sarah had gathered walnuts at a stop they made, and put them on the boat to dry. She had gone up to see about them, and her father, who did not know she was there, started to turn the boat and knocked her into the river. He jumped in and rescued her. On a later trip, the night he was drowned, she fell asleep at once. Grandfather Jesse Coffin and another man stayed up until midnight. They were near the spot where Sarah had fallen into the river and Jesse was telling this man about it. He asked the man to throw his rope across him when they lay down, but the man was so tired he did not remember whether he did so or not. Later they awakened him and told him his friend had jumped overboard. As he jumped, he cried "There she goes". They supposed he was dreaming about Sarah falling into the river. He had jumped where the wheel would draw him under. He was wearing an overcoat. The boat was stopped and they searched for him, without success. This happened on the Ohio river.
A few days later a woman whose husband had drowned was looking for his body and saw a body lodged in driftwood. The body was recovered and papers in the pockets revealed great grandfather's name and address. This strange woman had his body buried and sent the remainder of his money, his watch knife & etc. to his wife. No one knows for sure the exact spot he is buried.
Jesse Coffin was born sometime between 1803-1807
Jesse Coffin drowned in the Ohio river on March 20, 1836, having walked off the boat in his sleep, being a somnambulist (sleep walker). On the boat he would tie himself with a rope every night, but that particular fatal night he probably untied himself while asleep. He was not missed until morning, so the body floated far down the river.
A great granddaughter recalls the story that her mother told, grandfather Jesse Coffin shipped farm products from Indiana down the river to New Orleans. On one of his trips the girls went with him. His daughter Sarah had gathered walnuts at a stop they made, and put them on the boat to dry. She had gone up to see about them, and her father, who did not know she was there, started to turn the boat and knocked her into the river. He jumped in and rescued her. On a later trip, the night he was drowned, she fell asleep at once. Grandfather Jesse Coffin and another man stayed up until midnight. They were near the spot where Sarah had fallen into the river and Jesse was telling this man about it. He asked the man to throw his rope across him when they lay down, but the man was so tired he did not remember whether he did so or not. Later they awakened him and told him his friend had jumped overboard. As he jumped, he cried "There she goes". They supposed he was dreaming about Sarah falling into the river. He had jumped where the wheel would draw him under. He was wearing an overcoat. The boat was stopped and they searched for him, without success. This happened on the Ohio river.
A few days later a woman whose husband had drowned was looking for his body and saw a body lodged in driftwood. The body was recovered and papers in the pockets revealed great grandfather's name and address. This strange woman had his body buried and sent the remainder of his money, his watch knife & etc. to his wife. No one knows for sure the exact spot he is buried.
Jesse Coffin drowned in the Ohio river on March 20, 1836, having walked off the boat in his sleep, being a somnambulist (sleep walker). On the boat he would tie himself with a rope every night, but that particular fatal night he probably untied himself while asleep. He was not missed until morning, so the body floated far down the river.
A great granddaughter recalls the story that her mother told, grandfather Jesse Coffin shipped farm products from Indiana down the river to New Orleans. On one of his trips the girls went with him. His daughter Sarah had gathered walnuts at a stop they made, and put them on the boat to dry. She had gone up to see about them, and her father, who did not know she was there, started to turn the boat and knocked her into the river. He jumped in and rescued her. On a later trip, the night he was drowned, she fell asleep at once. Grandfather Jesse Coffin and another man stayed up until midnight. They were near the spot where Sarah had fallen into the river and Jesse was telling this man about it. He asked the man to throw his rope across him when they lay down, but the man was so tired he did not remember whether he did so or not. Later they awakened him and told him his friend had jumped overboard. As he jumped, he cried "There she goes". They supposed he was dreaming about Sarah falling into the river. He had jumped where the wheel would draw him under. He was wearing an overcoat. The boat was stopped and they searched for him, without success. This happened on the Ohio river.
A few days later a woman whose husband had drowned was looking for his body and saw a body lodged in driftwood. The body was recovered and papers in the pockets revealed great grandfather's name and address. This strange woman had his body buried and sent the remainder of his money, his watch knife & etc. to his wife. No one knows for sure the exact spot he is buried.
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