ASA COBURN was born at Dudley, Worchester, MA. on September 14, 1741. On April 8, 1752 he married Mary McClure, daughter of James and Mary McClure at Brookfield, MA. He owned 3 shares of the OHIO COMPANY. A share entitled the owner to 11,073 acres of land and a town lot. He came to Ohio in company with Col. Cushing and family and Major Goodale and family, who were delayed at Wellsburgh, VA., waiting for Major Coburn and family and his son-in-law Andrew Webster and son. From Wellsburg they all came to Marietta in the "Mayflower" which had been sent up the river for them. Asa Coburn was ill when he made the trip with the 2nd Ohio Company Associates to Marietta. He was under the care of Dr. Rev. Manasseh Cutler, who wrote about Asa in his journal.

They arrived in Marietta Aug. 19, 1778. They were the first families to settle in the NORTHWEST TERRITORY. When they arrived , Campus Martius was in process of building, but not finished. Mrs. Mary Coburn is thought to have died in Marietta with smallpox, sometime between. Jan. 10, 1789 and April 1789. He joined the "second association" and went to Waterford, April 20, 1789, where he died. (Administration and Inventory, Wash. Co. Record Vol.. 1. pages 31, 34, 35, 37, date Nov. 1797 and Oct. 1, 1798. Bond given $2000.00. Estate valued at $2322.43) It is not known just where he is buried, but probably somewhere near Waterford. Mrs. Frye thinks on Phineas Coburn's place, a few mile up Wolf Creek, above Waterford. Hildreth's Pioneer History and Washington Co. Ohio history give lists of persons in the Campus Martius and at Waterford during the Indian War. They say Nicholas and his sons Nicholas, Asa and Phineas were at Waterford. Now Nicholas was not married at that time, so this must be an error and should be Asa and sons. Another list gives Asa and family at Marietta, but this is headed, "At Marietta all or part of the time." This would make Asa recorded at both places. I am inclined to think that after going with the "Second Association" and during the war, he returned to Marietta for a time, and went back again later. The women at least were at Marietta. The sons probably at Waterford and Major Asa may have gone from on to the others. a stone to commemorate the landing of the first families was placed below Front Street on Washington Street by the New Century Historic Society, on which they have placed the names of Major Asa and wife Mary McClure Coburn. Asa Coburn's descendants gave $70.00 to help pay for the D.A.R. marker which they erected to the Revolutionary soldiers buried in Washington County, whose graves could not be located. His bronze marker is placed in that lot.

Mason Genealogy, Mary Eliza Mason (1911)

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MAJOR COBURN was very sick yesterday; I advised him an emetic of blood-root, which, operated kindly both as an emetic and cathartic. The pain in his stomach and side was still severe when I returned from meeting; I therefore opened a vein, which gave him relief, and this morning he set out on his journey.

Journal Of Rev. Manassah Cutler, LL.D, 1788 (Communicated by S.P. Hildreth, M.D., Marietta, Ohio) NEHG Register, Vol. 14, April 1860; New England Historic Genealogical Society: Pg 234: Monday, Aug. 11.

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Adams township. The settlement. The improvement of the territory of Adams Twp. was retarded about 4 years by the Indian war. Donation lots were drawn in 1789, and many of the owners joined the Waterford colony, or more properly the Second association, and were confined within the garrison at that place. A few others remained at Marietta-the owners of bear Creek allotment nearly all resided in Campus Martius. The settlement of Adams was contemporary with the settlement of the block-house colony on the south branch of Wolf creek, but fortunately suffered no such disaster as the murder of Sherman Waterman, although that event caused great anxiety in the frail garrison located nearly opposite the site of the present town of Lowell. The inhabitants of this garrison were four families and four single men, all of whom owned land in the vicinity and employed the time during the first summer at clearing and building cabins. The garrisoned cabins which stood near each other on the river bank belonged to, and were occupied by, Nicholas Coburn, with whom Asa, his brother, then a single man, boarded; Robert Allison, with whom Oliver Dodge boarded; Nathan Kinny and family, admitted to their cabin Joseph Simons, and William Davis, whose cabin was the home, during the first summer, of Daniel Davis.

The Coburn's and their descendants are prominent in the history of the township. Major Coburn, who came to Marietta in the latter part of 1788, was one of three brothers who entered the Colonial army at the opening of the Revolution. Andrew, the eldest was killed at Bunker Hill. Abraham also lost his life in battle. Asa served as captain, and after the recognition of the Government was retired with the rank of Major. All three belonged to the Mass. line. Phineas, eldest son of Asa, joined the first company of Ohio emigrants. Major Asa, with his sons Nicholas and Asa, came half a year later. The burial place of Major Coburn is unknown. He died at Waterford during the Indian war. Nicholas and Asa settled on the bottom, opposite the mouth of Cat's creek, on adjoining lots. Asa died in 1827 leaving seven children, three of whom, Sibyl, Asa and Minerva, live on the homestead; Sarah, Samuel and Parsis are dead; Lucy is married to Joseph Frye, who lives on the Coburn farm. Mrs Coburn, whose maiden name was Rhoda Baker, daughter of Dr. Baker, died in 1816. Joseph Frye, father of Joseph Frye, Jr. came from Maine to Waterford, where he was one of the early school teachers. He married Sally Becker, by whom he had 3 children; Sophronia, died young; Rhoda married John Wilkins, of Adams Twp. and Joseph, in 1840 married Lucy Coburn, who was b. in the year 1809. Joseph was b. in the year 1810. Their family consists of two children-Sarah, wife of Oliver Keil, of Darke co., and John W., of this Twp, who was b. Jan. 14, 1841. He married Aug. 19,1863, Melinda Mason, who was born Oct. 10, 1840. They have four children-Henry C., Harley E., Joe W., and Nellie M. The permanent settlement of Phineas Coburn, eldest son of Major Coburn, was in Morgan county. Nicholas Coburn, after making considerable progress in improving his land, traded with James Owens and removed to Morgan county. Three daughters. of Major Asa Coburn married Ohio Pioneers. Sibyl, first wife of Andrew Webster, died in Mass. Her husband and two sons- Adelpha and Asa C., belonged to the second association. Mary, second daughter of Major Coburn, was married to Gilbert Devol. Susanna was married to William Mason.

1788 History Of Washington County, Ohio With Illustrations And Biographical Sketches, H.Z. Williams and Bro. 1881: Pg. 556 - Chapter XI.

Contributed by: Debbie Noland Nitsche

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