Colorado Pioneers

Jacob and Mary Ann (Hull) Coffin had eleven children, six of which became pioneers in the Longmont area (Boulder & Weld Counties) of Colorado. The three brothers were Morse H. Coffin, George W. Coffin, and Reuben F. Coffin. The three sisters were Elizabeth Coffin, who married Sylvester Patton; Ellen Coffin, who married Porter Pennock; and Emeline Coffin, who married J. W. Daniels.

Morse Coffin began his journey to Colorado from Illinois in May of 1859, arriving in Colorado in July. Later in life, he would often send stories to the local newspaper about his pioneering experiences. This page gives a good description in Morse's own words of his early days in Colorado. He is also known for his first hand description of the battle of Sand Creek, a battle between the Third Colorado Volunteers and a band of Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians, which battle is often referred to as the Sand Creek Massacre. Alan W. Farley collected the articles and published them in a limited edition book in 1965, with notes and an introduction. Sharon Rice, who is connected with Sandstone Ranch, Morse Coffin's old homestead and now a national monument, was very kind to send me a copy.