Biography of Henry W. Coburn, page 707.   History of De Kalb County, 
Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

Henry W. Coburn, merchant, Newville, Ind., was born in Trumbull County, 
Ohio, March 15, 1830, a son of Ebenezer and Delia (Wilson) Coburn, his 
father a native of Burlington, Vt., and his mother of Massachusetts.  In 
1838 his parents moved to De Kalb County, Ind., and settled in the Coburn 
settlement in Concord Township, where he was reared and educated.  In 1857 
he was married and moved to Newville, and located on the lot where he has 
since lived.  In  1864 he built his residence.  He worked at the carpenter’s 
trade a few years, and in the spring of 1863 bought a half interest in the 
Newville saw-mill, which he ran four years.  He then worked at his trade 
till the spring of 1870, when he engaged in merchandising in company with 
A.A. Fetterer, under the firm name of Fetterer & Coburn.  In 1876 he bought 
his partner’s interest and has since carried on the business alone.  He 
carries a capital stock of $5,000, consisting of dry goods, groceries, 
boots, shoes, hats, caps crockery, hardware, etc.  He keeps constantly on 
hand a complete stock of everything in his line and has a good trade, 
doing an annual business of $10,000.  In 1881 he built a new store 24 x 50 
feet in size, which is one of the neatest and most conveniently arranged 
in the town.  Mr. Coburn was married Nov. 27, 1857, to Sophia Mathews, a 
native of Concord Township, daughter of John Mathews, a pioneer of De Kalb 
County, now deceased.  Mr. Coburn is one of the representative business men 
of Newville, but is quiet and unassuming in his manner, and never seeks 
official honors, preferring to attend strictly to his own affairs, and 
leaving the cares of office to others.  He and his wife are members of the 
Christian church.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com