The Coxon Family
I have almost no history of the Coxon side of my family. Grampa Jim Coxon married Iva Howes and the Howes side of the family I have more on. I’ll get into that later.
Dad had just a few stories to tell about his mother but he didn’t talk about his father at all. Somewhere I picked up the idea that Grampa Coxon (or was it Great Grampa Coxon - I’m not sure now) and his brother came over to the states from England together and that the brother soon returned to England never to be heard from again. I don’t remember specifically where I heard this but it must have come from Dad. Finding The Letter amongst Dad's affects turned out to be a valuable clue to researching the Coxons.
Contents
- The Letter
- Uncle George and the Cigar Box Fiddle
- Judge Cadman on the Naming of Red Rock
- Red Rock and Mt. Pleasant Tel. Co.
- Red Rock Celebrates its 150th Anniversary
- Judge Cadman's Speech at Red Rock's 150th Celebration
- Christian Church Centennial Celebration
When I started looking into my Coxon family history I took note of this single surviving letter to my great grandfather, Christopher William Coxon (C. W. Coxon), from his brother in England, Charles Merriman Coxon (C. M. Coxon), that I found amongst Dad’s effects after he died. This short letter turned out to be a goldmine.
While searching old newspapers for hints to my family history around Mt. Pleasant (aka Fog Hill), and looking for information about the Red Rock and Mt. Pleasant Telephone Co. I came across these cool stories, one about Amos Jackson, and another about my dad's kid brother George. I had never heard of Amos Jackson. And I never heard about Uncle George's fiddling either.
The Coxon Family at Red Rock Memorabilia
"On the western slope of the Berkshire Hills is a small village which is literally painted red once in every ten or twelve years. It lies in one of the most picturesque spots of the Taconic range, within easy distance of Lenox and Great Barrington, and near neighbor to all the Canaans of Connecticut and New York."
Somehow I got the impression my grandfather, James Coxon, started the first telephone company in Red Rock. I can't remember now where I got that idea but I see no evidence of that in these few newspaper clippings I found on the subject.
"Red Rock is the hub of the universe to-day. With appropriate ceremony, speeches and sports it celebrates its 150th. anniversary, and the 40th. of the erection of its marble shaft on the monumental rock. The little hamlet has a proud record; many worthy sons has she sent into the busy world and their deeds will be recounted with pleasure. The following historical sketches, from the “Souvenir and Advertiser” will be of general interest."
"Hon. John Cadman began his address with a description of Central Park in New York city and referred to a drive through it which he enjoyed with a friend who wanted to know what Mr. Cadman thought of it. “It is very grand,” said I, but I have now looked at it about half an hour and that will do. The fact is I was up to Red Rock last week and saw things there far superior to these in beauty and grandeur and have spent all the time I care to looking at this. (Applause.) Art cannot imitate nature, it has been tried for many centuries."
On Tuesday, May 30, 1922 Red Rock residents and supporters of the Red Rock Christian church gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its organization. The following is a report of the event I found in the Chatham Courier edition of the following Thursday, June 1, 1922.
— revised 2024-07-18 jhc