Lockley, Fred.  "History of the Columbia River Valley, From The Dalles to the
Sea." Vol. 1.  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928.  p. 419.
 
GEN. STEPHEN COFFIN

     Gen. Stephen Coffin was born in Maine in 1807. He crossed the plains to
Oregon, arriving at Oregon City in October, 1847. At first he did carpenter work
and later took contracts to build houses. In 1851 he purchased from Francis W.
Pettygrove, a half interest in the Portland townsite. At that time the town of
Portland was bounded by A Street now Ankeny, on the north, Carruthers Street on
the south, the Willamette River on the east and 16th Street on the west. With D.
H. Lawnsdale and Col. W. W. Chapman, his partner, he bought a controlling
interest in the Goldhunter for $18,600. This ship was to ply on the Portland-San
Francisco run. One of the San Francisco stockholders however, directed that the
ship be sent to Central America where it was sold for a tithe of its cost and
General Coffin had to meet the deficiency judgment and pay $60,000. To raise
this money, he had to sell at whatever prices he could get, a large number of
lots and blocks in Portland. In the long run, this resulted favorably for
Portland, as it brought in new people who put up stores and residences. General
Coffin organized the first plank road company in Oregon, the road running
through the Tanner Creek canyon to Tualatin Plains. In 1860 he was one of the
organizers of the Peoples Transportation Company and was elected vice president.
In 1866 he purchased an interest in the Oregon Iron Works which shortly
thereafter was destroyed by fire, causing General Coffin a loss of $40,000.
Later he was one of the promoters of the Oregon Central Railway on the west
side. He invested over $60,000 in promoting this road. He was one of the
organizers of the Northwestern Storage and Shipping Company. He purchased in
Troy, New York, a bell to be Put on the first schoolhouse built in Portland.
Later this bell was presented to the Taylor Street Methodist Church. In 1855 he
provided a steamboat to take provisions and blankets to the volunteers in the
Yakima Indian war.  In 1861 Governor A. C. Gibbs commissioned Mr. Coffin
brigadier-general of the Oregon militia, and in this capacity he raised and put
in the field a regiment of infantry and one of cavalry.
 
 
Transcriber's additional notes
 
Obituary for Stephen Coffin:
 
Oregonian; Friday, March 17, 1882
PASSED AWAY -- A telegram to The Oregonian, from Dayton, Yamhill county,
announces the death last night of General Stephen Coffin.  He came to this state
in 1847, settling at Oregon City.  About two years afterward he moved to
Portland and  became owner of one-third of the ground on which the city now
stands.  He was public spirited, and assisted in establishing the first
steamship line between Portland and San Francisco.  To the needy and distressed
immigrants who arrived in 1852 and  ? he gave much valuable assistance.  During
the rebellion he was appointed brigadier general of the Oregon state militia by
Governor Gibbs, and was well known throughout the northwest coast.  He lived
three years beyond the allotted three score and ten, and in his last days he had
the comforting presence of his family and many kind friends.  General Coffin
will be remembered by all who knew him as a man of great energy, of broad
charity and of pure life.

 
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2008 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.