Klickitat County WA Archives Biographies.....Coleman, A. H. September 4, 1881 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/wa/wafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com November 7, 2009, 12:35 am Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 170-171 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company A. H. COLEMAN is recognized as one of the leading farmers in Klickitat county, Washington, and his well improved and productive ranch near Bingen bears abundant evidence of his thorough and practical methods of operation, through which he is realizing substantial success. Mr. Coleman was born at Troy, Miami county, Ohio, on the 4th of September, 1881, and is a son of George E. and Hattie Eunice (Beach) Coleman, the former born at Troy, Ohio, and the latter in Flint, Michigan, where her father was engaged in the hardware business. The paternal grandfather, A. H. Coleman, was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served in the Civil war as colonel of the Eleventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being killed in the battle of Antietam. He left two children, Rachel, the wife of Henry Clay Eversole, of Bingen, Washington, and George E. His widow later became the wife of A. R. Burkett, an attorney of Troy, Ohio, and in 1888 they came to White Salmon, Washington. Mr. Burkett bought three hundred and twenty acres of land at Trout Lake, Klickitat county, and also bought three hundred and twenty acres of the old Joslyn donation claim at Bingen, which had been filed on in the early 50s. He cleared most of this land and engaged in farming, his principal crop being hay, and also ran a dairy, keeping a large herd of pure- bred Jersey cows. He was greatly interested in raising strawberries, and was successful in all of his affairs. After operating that place for a number of years, he retired and moved to California, where his death occurred in 1914, and that of his wife in 1918. George E. Coleman, who came to White Salmon in 1889, and who is now living with his son at Bingen, is engaged as a reporter on the White Salmon Enterprise, recording local happenings in a very interesting and readable form. His wife died July 1, 1918. A. H. Coleman was reared by his grandparents and was about seven years old when he accompanied them to Washington. He received a good education, attending the public schools in White Salmon and Hood River, after which he went to Portland University and completed his studies at Klickitat Academy at Goldendale. He assisted his grandfather in the operation of the home ranch until 1914, when he went to Santa Monica, California, where he engaged in the garage business for about six months, after which he went to work as truck driver for the New York Motion Picture Corporation. He made advancement in the business and eventually became purchasing agent for Robert Brunton, Inc., producers of moving pictures, remaining with that concern until 1924, when he returned to Bingen and engaged in farming on part of his grandfather's old farm, of which he is now the owner of eighty-five acres of rich river bottom land, on which he raises fine crops of hay and asparagus. He has made many substantial improvements, is applying himself closely to the operation of the place and well deserves the prosperity which is now his. On July 19, 1903, Mr. Coleman was united in marriage to Miss Mary Katherine Timm, who was born in Hamburg, Germany, and is a daughter of John and Anna (Kreuger) Timm, also natives of that country. Her father, who died there, ran a large dairy at Ottensen, near Hamburg. To him and his wife were born four children: Mrs. Rudolph Schwall, of New York city; Mrs. Bertha Fisher, deceased; Mrs. Anna Seegers, of New York city, and Mrs. Mary Katherine Coleman. Mr. and Mrs. Coleman are the parents of three children, namely: Augusta Marie, who graduated from high school in California and took a course in the Santa Monica Business College, is the wife of Earl Absher, of Bingen, Washington; Clara and Harriet were twins and the latter died in infancy. Clara graduated from the high school at White Salmon and is now taking the teacher's course at the State Normal School at Ellensburg, Washington. Mr. Coleman is a member of Santa Monica Lodge, No. 307, A. F. & A. M.; Los Angeles Consistory, A. A. S. R.; Al Malaikah Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Los Angeles; White Salmon Lodge, No. 188, I. O. O. F., in which he has passed through the chairs and has received the degrees of the encampment; and White Salmon Lodge K. P., of which he is a past chancellor. He served two years as mayor of Bingen and is now a member of the city council, while Mrs. Coleman is clerk of the school board. During the Indian war of the early '50s a block house was erected on the Joslyn donation claim, the owner of which was the first white settler at Bingen, and Mr. Coleman possesses the door which hung on this historic old structure. It is his purpose to present the door to the Wasco County Pioneer Association, to be preserved in the museum at The Dalles. Mr. Coleman has shown a live interest in everything pertaining to the welfare and prosperity of his community and among his fellowmen he commands uniform respect and good will because of his business ability, his sterling character and excellent personal traits. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wa/klickitat/bios/coleman127gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wafiles/ File size: 5.7 Kb