Biography of  Payne K. Coggswell, pages 979 / 980.  History of De Kalb 
County, Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

Payne K. Coggswell, engineer for the Wabash Railway, Butler, Ind., was born 
in Litchfield County, Conn., Feb. 9, 1846, a son of Hiram H. Coggswell.  He 
was educated in his native town, Canaan, remaining there till fourteen years 
of age, when he came West and went to work on the Illinois Central Railroad 
as newsboy, running  from Chicago to Centralia.  Two and a half years later 
he returned to Connecticut and followed the same business on the Housatonic 
Railroad till 1863, when he was employed on the same road as fireman; worked 
in that capacity two and a half years, and Sept. 19, 1865, was given charge 
of an engine.  He was employed as engineer five years, and in 1870 was 
transferred to a new road, the Connecticut Western, on which he worked nine 
and a half years.  He ran the engine on the first passenger train that went 
into Hartford on that road.  In the summer of 1879 he entered the employ of 
the Wabash Railroad, running between Lafayette and Danville.  In August, 
1881, he was transferred to Butler, where he has since lived.  Mr. 
Coggswell was married Nov. 3, 1869, to Minnie E., daughter of Mervin E. 
Lente, of West Point, N.Y.  The have two children---Katie M. and Alice B.  
Mr. Coggswell is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Brotherhood of 
Locomotive Engineers. He was Master of his lodge in  Millerton, N.Y., six 
years.

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