Biography  of Eli T. Cochran, pages 525/526/527/528.  History of DeKalb 
County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



Eli T. Cochran



	It is with marked satisfaction that the biographer adverts to the 
life of one who has attained success in any vocation requiring 
definiteness of purpose and determined action.  Such life, whether it 
be one of calm, consecutive endeavor or of sudden meteoric 
accomplishments, must abound in both lesson and incentive and prove a 
guide to young men whose fortunes and destinies are still matter for 
the future to determine.  The subject of this sketch is distinctively 
one of the representative men of Auburn.  For a number of years he 
directed his efforts toward the goal of success and by patient 
continuance in well doing succeeded at last in overcoming the many 
obstacles by which his pathway was beset.

	Eli T. Cochran, one of the best known business men and 
enterprising citizens of Auburn, Indiana, was born May 13, 1859, on his 
father’s farm two miles west of the city. He is ninth in order of birth 
of thirteen children born to Thomas and Amanda (Saine) Cochran.  Thomas 
Cochran was a son of John and Mary (Cubison) Cochran, the former of 
whom came from the north of Ireland, being of Scotch descent.  Thomas 
Cochran was born in Perry county, Ohio, August 24, 1815, his father 
being an early setter of that community. Thomas was reared in his 
native county, and made the old homestead his residence for over forty 
years.  After attaining his majority he bought the interest of the 
other heirs of his father’s estate, and took care of his parents until 
their death.  In September, 1858, he moved to Indiana, purchasing land 
in what was then known as Richland, now Keyser township, this county, 
two miles west of Auburn, where he made his permanent home.  He was an 
industrious man and successful financially as well as otherwise. He 
married Amanda Saine on March 17, 1844, she having been born January 
18, 1826, a daughter of Henry and Catherine Saine, natives of Maryland. 
To Thomas and wife thirteen children were born as follows: Hannah, who 
became the wife of D.K, Houghton, of Lewistown, Illinois; Edward, born 
July 9, 1846, died July 17, 1850; Mary A., wife of Charles McBride, of 
Toledo, Ohio; Emily M., wife of Allen Wysong, of Avilla, Indiana; 
William H., of DeKalb county; Joseph B., who lives on a farm two and 
one-half miles west of Auburn; David S., of Tucson, Arizona; Dorothea, 
wife of Jeff Clark, of Garrett, Indiana; Eli T., of Auburn; Benjamin 
F., of Virginia; Ida A., born December 25, 1862, died May 8, 1864; 
Ralph B., of Ontario, California; and Charles K., of Auburn Junction, 
this county.  Thomas Cochran was characterized by great physical 
energy, and even in old age was a rapid walker.  He came of a long 
lived family, one sister living to the age of ninety years.  He lived 
on his farm until his death which occurred in the fall of 1892, aged 
seventy-eight years. His wife died February 26, 1890. Both were members 
of the Baptist church, of upright character, whose lives were a benefit 
to those with whom they associated.

	Eli T. Cochran spent his boyhood days on his father’s farm, 
securing his education in the common schools of the neighborhood.  At 
the age of fifteen years he was stricken with typhoid fever, from the 
effects of which his health became so impaired that he had to forego 
further schooling. He remained on the home farm until his marriage in 
1886, when he was twenty-seven years old.   Immediately thereafter he 
went to California, where he remained two years, and then returned to 
DeKalb county, taking up his residence in Auburn, where he resumed 
carpenter work, a trade at which he had already had some experience, 
and a vocation at which all the male members of his family showed an 
aptitude.  About two years later he began contracting and building, and 
continued as a contractor until 1906, when be bought out the Goodwin 
coal yard in Auburn, and has since operated that business. Marked 
enterprise and progress have characterized him in his efforts and he 
has attained to a success fully commensurate with the efforts put forth 
by him.  Mr. Cochran take an intelligent interest in public affairs, 
and in politics has been active in the ranks of the Democratic party.  
He served two terms in the city council of Auburn and was an 
influential member of that body when Auburn instituted the system of 
fine paved streets. His home is in a substantial and attractive brick 
residence at No. 421 West Seventh street, Auburn, and is finished 
handsomely in hard wood, personally selected by Mr. Cochran.  The home 
is modern in every respect, and has all the conveniences required in 
modern, up-to-date homes.

	In March, 1886, Mr. Cochran was united in marriage with Nora 
Belle Shook, daughter of Jesse and Virilla (Fleming) Shook. Mrs. 
Cochran, who is a lady of many social graces and estimable qualities of 
head and heart, was born on her father’s farm in Fairfield township, 
this county, about two miles southwest of Fairfield Center. Her father, 
Jesse Shook, was the fourth of ten children born to John Shook and 
wife.  Mr. Cochran’s grandfather was a native of Pennsylvania, from 
which place he moved to Ohio, living successively in Columbiana, 
Trumbull and Seneca counties, before coming to DeKalb county, Indiana.  
In 1844 he located in Fairfield township, this county, when Jesse Shook 
was a boy of about fifteen years of age.  John M. Shook, a brother of 
Jesse, and who now makes his home with Mr. and Mrs. Cochran, was in the 
cavalry branch of the army during the Civil war.  After the war he 
entered the employment of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railway at 
Parson, Kansas, and was in the employ of that road for forty years.  He 
is a thirty-second degree Mason and a member of the Mystic Shine.

	To John Shook and wife were born the following children: 
Jonathan, Elias, Rebecca, Jesse, Henry, John M., Elizabeth, Samuel, 
William and Rose Ann.  Jesse Shook married Virilla Fleming, daughter of 
Aaron Fleming and Nancy (Irwin) Fleming a lady of Scotch parentage.   
He followed the vocation of farming for some years after his marriage, 
and when Mrs. Cochran was a little girl the family moved to Corunna.  
About 1893 Mr. and Mrs. Shook moved into Auburn, where he died in 1899, 
his wife surviving until 1906.

	To Mr. and Mrs. Cochran has been born one daughter, LaVaun, who 
is now attending the public schools in Auburn.  Mr. Cochran is an 
active member of the Knight of Pythias, the American Yoeman and the 
Auburn Commercial Club, in all of which he takes an active part and 
intelligent interest. Religiously, he and his wife are active member of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, of which they are regular attendants 
and to which they contribute liberally of their means.  Mr. Cochran has 
by his indomitable enterprise and progressive methods contributed in a 
material way to the advancement of this locality, and during the course 
of and honorable career he has met with a fair measure of success, 
having been governed by honesty and sincerity of purpose so that he now 
enjoys to an eminent degree the confidence and regard of the entire 
community.



Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com