BIO:  JAMES POTTER COBURN, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
   
  Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Joe Patterson
  OCRed by Judy Banja 

  Copyright 2004.  All rights reserved.
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/
  _____________________________________________________________

  >From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania,
  Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 684-685
  _____________________________________________________________

  NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios:
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/zeamer/

  
    JAMES POTTER COBURN, the eldest child of Dr. Charles and Margaret (Huston)
  Coburn, was born July 11, 1831, at Aaronsburg. After leaving the common
  schools of his native town he spent three years in school at Owego, N. Y.,
  two years in the Harrisburg Academy, and then entered the "Old Tennent
  School" in Bucks county to prepare for Yale College. Soon afterward both his
  father and mother became invalids, and he gave up his plan of finishing at
  Yale to care for them in their declining years. For seven years he engaged in
  the mercantile business at Aaronsburg, at the same time reading law in the
  office of Hon. A. G. Curtin and Edmund Blanchard, Esq., at Bellefonte, and in
  1860 was admitted to the Center county Bar. He is a man of excellent business
  qualities, enterprising and progressive, and has been instrumental in
  promoting important business ventures, probably the chief of which is the
  construction of the Lewisburg and Tyrone railroad, of which he is a director.
  He also long served as a director of the First National Bank of Bellefonte,
  and on July 1, 1896, was elected its president, which position he still
  holds. This is one of the oldest, most reliable and successful banking
  institutions of central Pennsylvania. Colonel Coburn, as he is familiarly
  known, gained his title through serving on General George Buchanan's staff,
  and also through being a member of Governor Curtin's staff with the same rank.
    
    On Oct. 17, 1860, Col. Coburn was married to Miss Jane E. Huston, oldest
  daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Hammond) Huston. They live in a beautiful
  home in Bellefonte, and are among that city's most highly esteemed and
  generous hearted people.
    
    From this brief sketch it may be seen how one of Cumberland county's old
  and honorable families has contributed to the
    
    CUMBERLAND COUNTY.  685
    
  substantial citizenship of other sections. Going hence more than a hundred
  years ago, James Huston settled in a new land, built a home and gave to the
  world a family who honored him and the section in which they lived. They took
  up life's duties, and guided by the principles inherited from their
  forefathers, in their turn, wrought conscientiously and successfully and
  honorably. Cumberland county feels a filial interest and pride in such
  descendants, and with pleasure dedicates to them a place in its history.