Colorado Pioneers - George Wesley Coffin

George W. Coffin will be well remembered for his role as Weld County (Colorado) treasurer, and city of Longmont councilman and Mayor. However, he will forever be known in Colorado history as the man who lost the landmark court case, Coffin v. Left Hand Co., a case which set the precedent for water rights in Colorado and throughout many of the western states.

Fort Collins Courier (Fort Collins, Larimer County)
Thursday, March 18, 1897, Page: 1

Mayor George W. Coffin returned from his mines Saturday and is just able to crawl around. While in the mountains he was out surveying one of his claims and lost his footing on the side of a steep mountain and slid down fifty feet or more and finally was stopped by a log. He was severely bruised, but thought for a time he was not badly hurt. Since he came home he has suffered considerable pain in the side and back. � Longmont Times

Colorado Transcript (Golden, Jefferson County)
Thursday, January 25, 1906, Page: 7

RANCH TRAGEDY

Farmer Near Longmont Found in Dying Condition � Victim of Unknown Robber

George W. Coffin Struck Down While Alone at Work � Skull and Jaw Fractured � Was Formerly Mayor of Longmont

Denver. � A Republican special from Longmont Saturday night says: George W. Coffin, a prominent farmer and one of the earliest settlers of Colorado, was found on his ranch four miles east of Longmont this evening in a dying condition, with his head beaten to a pulp.

Mr. Coffin had been hauling manure and a tenant on the place, a Mr. Sanders, was absent from the ranch. The first thing unusual noticed by Mrs. Sanders, who was at home with her little daughter, was Mr. Coffin�s team running loose with the harness on. About this time Mr. Sanders came home and went to the small house occupied by Mr. Coffin to investigate. He found Coffin in bed, lying in a pool of blood, with his head badly crushed.

From the appearance of the house Mr. Coffin had dragged himself there and opened the door, washed his injuries as best he could, undressed and gone to bed. On the door knob there was blood and a bloody wash basin showed that he had used it. There was also a large quantity of blood upon the wagon, making it appear as if, after being struck, he had leaned against the wagon, which was partially loaded. He must have then unhitched the team and gone to the house.

During the absence of his wife in California, Mr. Coffin had been spending considerable time at his ranch and it is supposed that someone had taken this opportunity to rob him. He was known to have had considerable money on his person and none of it could be found, either in his house or on his clothing. The nature of his injuries are such that an accident is out of the question. His skull is fractured in two places, as if struck from behind with some blunt instrument, and his jaw is supposed to be fractured on the right side. There is a bad bruise on the left cheek.

He is now in the Longmont hospital in an unconscious condition and recovery seems impossible.

Mr. Coffin is a brother of R. F. and Morse Coffin, and is well known to the old timers all over Colorado. He has served as mayor of Longmont and has been identified with all its public improvements. His daughter, Mrs. Gertrude Seckner, is well known in Women�s Club circles in this state and is secretary of the School Board of Longmont.

OBITUARY OF GEORGE W. COFFIN

LONGMONT LEDGER, 26 JAN 1906

COFFIN - At the hospital, Longmont, Thursday, January 25, 1906, George W.Coffin, aged 67 years, 10 months and 29 days.

George W. Coffin met with a fatal injury at his ranch east of Longmont about five miles. The case is surrounded with mystery, and it looks now as though it would always remain so. It occurred on Saturday, January 20th, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Mr. Coffin was hauling manure Saturday morning, and the family of Alva Saunders, the tenant, noticed in the afternoon that he did not come out as was expected, and in fact was not to be seen. Mrs. Saunders went to the little house which Mr. Coffin had erected for his own use, and being timid, went back with the report that there was blood on the doorknob. Investigation resulted in finding Mr. Coffin in bed, undressed, his head in a pool of blood. He had evidently tried to wash himself, or what some think more likely, some one unknown tried to wash him then left. If the latter is the case it was the man who did the deed. Two blows on the back of the head crushed the skull, one injury on the left side near the temple, and another dislocated the jaw. He had bled considerably from the nose and mouth.

Mrs. Saunders had also noticed that the horses were running at large with their harness on, and she did not understand it.

The ambulance was sent for, and Mr. Coffin was taken to the Longmont hospital, where he was cared for, but no hope was given by the surgeons that he could recover.

Telephone messages were sent to Sheriff Florence of Weld County and Sheriff Bartell of Boulder County. These officers, together with relatives and friends, have made repeated investigations of the premises, but cannot arrive at any certain conclusion. Mr. Saunders was in Longmont Saturday afternoon and his family can tell nothing. His house is about 150 feet from that of Mr. Coffin. His injury was supposed to have been received at the wagon where he was at work, and on which was found some blood, and also a pool of blood near it. A king bolt was also found with stains of blood upon it, leading the officers to think that as the nature of the wounds on the back of the head would be made by some such instrument, that that was the thing. As we understand it, Mr. Coffin must have gone through a barb wire fence or around the house of the Saunders family, and then took off his clothes and went to bed. These actions do not seem possible to one in his condition.

Some think it all a mysterious accident, others that someone struck the blows. Besides there were papers found which had been in Mr. Coffin's pocket book, but the pocket book was gone, which makes it plain that robbery was the motive. If so, the thief did not get anything, unless it was some small change. Mr. Coffin had sold some hay the day previous, but had applied the amount received on a debt.

He was unconscious most of the time after he was found, but at times knew the members of his family. As to the injuries he had received he had no knowledge, though once in answer to a question from his brother Morse he replied, "he went through the fence and down the road," referring to the man who had hit him. This was all that he could tell.

The family was very much scattered, Mrs. Coffin and daughter Edna were in Long Beach, Cal, and a telegram was at once sent to bring them home. Will was four miles from Eldora, and George at Caribou; Louis in the state of Washington and Mark in Idaho. Will and George arrived Sunday morning and sent telegrams to the other brothers, and received replies that they were coming.

George W. Coffin was born in Roxbury, Delaware, New York, February 24, 1838, and with the family went to Buffalo by way of the Erie Canal. He spent some time at Belvidere, Ill., and came to Colorado in 1860, and only went back to the "states" as he needed goods, for there were no stores to speak of in Colorado at that time. He took up his homestead some six miles east of Longmont, on the St. Vrain, which he farmed either personally or by tenant ever since, and it was on the farm that he was injured.

He married Emily Ainsworth in 1863, which union resulted in four sons and two daughters, all of whom are living.

When the war broke out and Indian trouble commenced, he took care of the ranches of his brothers when they went into the war. He has seen all the"ups and downs" of a pioneer in Colorado. He has of recent years been interested in mining, and two of his sons, Will and George, are following the lead. He was a member of the State Constitutional Convention in 1864 or 5, but the constitution was not adopted; was collector or Treasurer of Weld County in 1865-1866; elected County Judge of Weld County about 1866 (this date is not certain), but either did not serve or served but a short time. He was a member of the congressional church, as well as the A.O.U.W. He was one of the most conscientious men we have ever known. Would go outof his way at any time to do a person a favor. It was on every person's tongue when the news passed around of his injury, "Who would hurt George Coffin?" He was one of the mildest tempered men in the country.

He has served on the city council of Longmont, as well as one term as mayor, and was an extra good official, for his conscientiousness would not allow him to neglect anything he though his duty. We do not believe Longmont ever had a mayor who gave up so much of his time to duties of office. He was a brother of M.H. and R.F. Coffin, Mrs. J.W. Daniels, and Mrs. Ellen C. Pennock, and half brother of Herbert L. Coffin of Greenland, Minnesota. His wife and daughter Edna arrived Wednesday noon, and he recognized them before he passed away.

The family were all here except Lewis, who telegraphed that he was delayed by snow blockades at Spokane.