"History of Wayne County, Indiana" by Andrew W. Young. pub 1872.  

City of Richmond
pg 413-415


Elijah Coffin, son of Bethuel and Hannah (Dicks) Coffin, was born in New Garden, Guilford Co., N.C., Nov. 17, 1798.  he was married, Geb. 2, 1820, to Naomi Hiatt, and settled on a farm in New Garden.  In 1824, he removed, with his wife and three children, to this county, near Milton, and engaged in school-keeping in that town; a business in which he had been employed at times, in his native state, before and after his marriage.  In 1829, he commenced the mercantile business at Milton, and continued i there about four years.  In 1833, having received a liberal offer from Griffin & Luckey, 
wholesale wholesale merchants in Cincinnati, he engaged as clerk in their store, and removed to that city.  He remained 
there about a year and a half, when the branch of the State Bank of Indiana having been located at Richmond, he was 
chosen as its cashier, a position for which he had, in a great measure, been fitte by his mercantile experience; and in 
November, 1834, he removed to Richmond.  The branch bank commenced business Dec. 1, 1834, and closed at the expiration 
of the term of its charter, Jan. 1, 1859, after a successful, prosperous management of more than twenty-four years, 
during which period he was its only cashier.

At the final meeting of the board of directors, Dec. 25, 1858, the following resolution was offered by Robert Morrison 
and adopted: "it is unanimously resolved, that in consideration of the able and faithful services of Elijah Coffin, as 
cashier of this branch, from its first organization to its close, and the fidelity and promptitude with which he has 
discharged the various and important duties confided to his care, the board embrace the opportunity to express upon our 
minutes the high sense entertained of his official services and private worth."

He now gave up secular business.  His religious activities, however, were unabated.  His energies were thenceforth 
directed to the promotion of the interests of the church.  Although he ever sympathized with evangelical Christians of 
other denominations, he ws peculiarly attached to the society in which he had been trained; and hence, to the various 
institutions and instrumentalities of its own appointement, he contributed largely by his personal efforts and 
pecuniary means.  He was at an early age clerk of the yearly meeting of Friends in North Carolina; and, in 1827, was 
appointed clerk of Inidana yearly meeting.  Not only was he prompt and faithful attendant at the various meetings in 
his own state, but he atended yearly meeting in many of he states.  He was also a friend and patron of education, of 
First-day or Sabbath-schools, of associations to promote the circulation of religious tracts and the diffusion and 
reading of the Holy Scriptures; and he had, many years before his death, constituted himself a life member of the 
American Bible Society.  He died Jan. 22, 1862.  Hi wife died June 14, 1866, aged 68 years.

Elijah and Naomi Caoffin had seven children: 1. Miriam A., who married Wm. A. Rambo, and had three children, Edward B., 
Naomi C., and Francis H.  After the death of her husband she married Hugh Maxwell.  2. Charles F., who married Rhoda M. 
Johnson.  Their children are Elijah, Charles II., Francis A., Wm. E., and Percival.  Mr. C. has been, during a great 
portion of his life, in the banking business in Richmond.  He was one of the origianl proprietors of the Citizens' Bank,
 established in 1853, and cashier of the Richmond Branch of the "Bank of the State" during its existence; and has been 
president of the Richmond National Bank from its commencement to the present time. 3. William II., who married Sarah 
Wilson, whose children are John W., William H., Albert, Robert, Frank.  4.  Eliphalet, who died at the age of three 
years.  5. Caroline E., wife of Wm. H. Ladd, Brooklyn, N.Y.  6. Mary C., wife of Eli Johnson, Chicago. 7. Hannah, who 
maried Mordecai Morris White, merchant in Cincinnati.