ISAAC COCHRAN, son of Alexander and Margaret (Greery) Cochran, was born in the town of Newburgh, October 29, 1823. He was educated in the schools and academy of Newburgh. In 1839 he accompanied his parents to New York City and engaged with his father in a grocery and tea business on Broadway and Twenty-first street, where he remained until 1860. He then embarked in the manufacture of carriages in New York, where for a number of years he carried on a successful business. In 1866 he returned to Newburgh and settled on a farm adjoining the place of his birth. In 1887 he removed to his present home, corner of Powell avenue and North street, where he lives in comparative retirement. Mr. Cochran assisted in the organization of the Columbus Trust Company in 1892, of which he has since been a director. In 1850 Mr. Cochran married Miss Rachel Sommerville. She died in 1891. Seven children blessed this union. Mr. Cochran has been an elder in the Reformed Presbyterian Church since 1868 and has served as superintendent of the Sunday-school over thirty years.
CHARLES C. COCKS, senior member of the grocery firm of C. E. Cocks Sons, was born in Cornwall, N. Y., where he has always resided. He is a son of Charles E. and Margaret (Campbell) Cocks, natives of the town of Monroe, Orange County. The business was established by his father at Cornwall Landing in 1850, and our subject has been interested in it since 1870. In 1900 he and his brother, Isaac M., succeeded to the business. Mr. Cocks has served as trustee of the village and school boards and is a director of the Cornwall Savings Bank, of which his father was the president for many years. He is also vice-president of the Cornwall Realty and Improvement Company.
WILLIAM HENRY CODDINGTON was born in Ulsterville, Ulster County, N. Y., June 15, 1872, and was one of five children, whose parents were William Henry and Susan Coddington. After attending the district school he assisted his father on the farm and was engaged at blacksmithing for six months. In 1893 he became connected with the New York Condensed Milk Company, now known as the Borden Condensed Milk Company, and was gradually promoted from the position of helper to foreman, at Johnsons, N. Y. In 1905 he was transferred to the Burnside Creamery and is now its superintendent. In politics he is a democrat and is a member of the Jr. O. U. A. M., of Middletown. He married Miss Delia Louise Bennett, of South Centerville, June 26, 1901, and they have three children, Frank M., Florence Elizabeth, and Ralph B. Mrs. Coddington is a member of the Presbyterian Church, of South Centerville.
THOMAS COLDWELL, who at the time of his death in 1905 was the oldest manufacturer of Lawn Mowers in America, was born in Staleybridge, Lancashire, England, in 1838, and came to this country at a very early age. His first employment was with John and William Rothery, who operated a file shop in Matteawan, N. Y. He was later employed by H. W. Swift, who had a machine shop at Wiccapee, in the town of Fishkill, and who was experimenting in the manufacture of lawn mowers fashioned after Budding's grass cutters manufactured in England. Mr. Coldwell, who was endowed with genius for invention, actually made the first lawn mower produced by Mr. Swift. He became associated with Mr. George L. Chadborn, who was also in the employ of Mr. Swift, and in 1868 Mr. Coldwell, with the assistance of Mr. Chadborn, invented a new lawn mower, resulting in the formation of the Chadborn & Coldwell Mfg. Co., at Newburgh, N. Y., with Mr. Coldwell as president, which continued until 1891, when Mr. Coldwell organized the Coldwell Lawn Mower Co., mention of which appears elsewhere in this work. Suffice it to say that their daily output approximates seven hundred complete mowers for each working day in the year and it is the largest plant in the world devoted to the manufacture of these machines.
In this connection it is interesting to note briefly the history of lawn mowers. There is some doubt who was the original inventor. An old document has been found in the United States Patent Office, dated 1825, which shows that one James Ten Eyk, of Bridgewater, N. J., invented a mowing machine. It was simple, having a box like a wagon box, with the forward end open, furnished with two shafts, one at the front end, on which were placed the revolving cutters, and the other above the center of the box on which were the driving wheels, and on which the box was hung. The driving shaft had on it two drive pulleys corresponding with two smaller ones on the cutter shaft and the two were connected by means of two rope belts. It was a revolving-cutter field mower, and is the first revolving cutter of which any record can be found, but the inventor did not claim that it was a lawn mower. The next authentic record of a revolving-cutter mower was one invented by Edwin Budding, of Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. Budding was born near Stroud in 1796. He was evidently an inventor, draftsman and mechanic of considerable ability. He invented the Budding wrench and various machines for use in the manufacture of woolen cloth. He was superintendent for the late George Lister, a manufacturer of Dursley, England. P. A. Lister (son of George), who succeeded his father (and from whom many of these facts regarding Budding emanate), stated that there was no doubt but that Budding took the idea of the lawn mower from a cloth clipping machine. He was granted a patent for his new invention, dated October 25, 1830, and a circular owned by Mr. Budding's daughter, dated 1830, shows that he sold three sizes of lawn mowers, manufactured by John Farrabee near Stroud. These facts leave no doubt that to Budding belongs the credit of producing the first lawn mower.
Previous to 1855 probably all lawn mowers used in America were of English make. A few years prior to this Mr. H. W. Sargent, of Fishkill, received a mower from England and sent it to Mr. Swift to be repaired, and it was upon Mr. Sargent's suggestion that Mr. Swift began the manufacture of these machines. His circular, dated 1835, states that he made four sizes ranging in price from $30 to $80. For a number of years Mr. Swift had a monopoly of the lawn mower trade in this country.
About 1868 the Hills Lawn Mower Co. was started in Hartford, Conn. They made the Archimedian Mower. It was the first machine made with only two revolving cutter blades, and sold for $45. Other manufacturers were Graham, Emlen & Passmore, of Philadelphia, who produced the first side-wheel mower. In 1885 some patents on the best mowers expired and many small manufacturers sprang up in all parts of the country, who have contented themselves by making the cheaper grades. A few lawn mowers are made in Canada, Germany and France, but the United States produces four-fifths of all lawn mowers made in the world, and they are exported to every part of the globe.
The business established by Thomas Coldwell is now continued by his two sons, William H. and Harry T., both of whom were brought up in the lawn mower business by their father. He is also survived by a widow and daughter, the latter the wife of Mr. E. C. Ross, who is associated with the Coldwell Brothers in the lawn mower industry.
GALEN COLEMAN was born near Mount Hope, Orange County, N. Y., December 31, 1859. His parents were Alfred and Catherine Coleman. His education was obtained at Mount Hope, and at an early age he learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed some time. He removed to Middletown, and learned the machinist trade, which business he has since followed. He married Mary Alice Coleman, of Wantage, N. J., who was born March 19, 1852. Their marriage occurred at Spartanburg, S. C., January 7, 1880. Their one child, Frank Edson, was born August 29, 1882. He married Eva M. Birtwistle, of Middletown, June 5, 1907. Father and son are independent in politics and members of Lodge No. 169, K. of P., of Middletown.
WILLIAM M. COLLARD was born in the town of Warwick, Orange County, N. Y., August 14, 1857. His father was Jerome and mother Mary E. (Hallock) Collard. The subject of this sketch attended the district school at Greenwood Lake, and afterward worked on his father's farm. He learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for ten years. He was married to Mary E. Robets, of Bull's Mills, in 1879. Socially, he is a member of Wallkill Grange, and Protective Home Circle. He was previously a member of the Maccabees. He is a democrat, taking an active interest in local politics. Mr. Collard has been in the grocery business for some years. He owns two hundred acres of land near Greenwood Lake, and recently there has been discovered a fine grade of mica on his farm, which has been leased to parties, who have commenced operating the mines.