History of Cynthiana, (Harrison County) Kentucky United States of America

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William Tell Coleman, merchant, was born in Cynthiana, Ky., Feb. 29, 1824. He spent his early youth as a lumberman in St. Louis, Mo., and attended the St. Louis university, where he was graduated, passing through the entire course in two years of study. He then devoted himself to the study of law, but gave it up because of ill health, and engaged in lumbering in Wisconsin. With a party of gold-seekers, he made the journey overland to California in 1849, but left his companions to dig for gold, while he opened stores at various points to furnish the incoming mining population with supplies. He was a member of the famous executive committee of vigilance in February, 1851, when Mr. Jansen was assaulted, and upon its revival in 1856, when Editor King was murdered, Mr. Coleman was its president, directed its trials, superintended the execution of the murderers, and so kept the committee in check as to avoid interference by the United States authorities. In 1857 he removed to New York city, conducting the New York branch of William T. Coleman & Co. of San Francisco, Cal. He was an active Union man, contributed liberally toward the prosecution of the war and personally assisted in suppressing the draft riots in New York city. After the war closed he offered his sympathy and material aid to the stricken people of the south. Returning to California in 1864 he continued the management of his business, which was extending to a large trade with China and Japan. In 1866 he was an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. senator. In 1877-78 he organized the committee of' safety to assist the police in quelling the labor riots. His firm failed in 1888 for $2,000,000, but after a compromise had been effected with the creditors he continued the business, and by 1892 he had liquidated the entire indebtedness with interest. Besides this, he succeeded in accumulating about $600,000. A clause in his will reads: "Having with a full hand continuously and pleasurably aided many public and private charities, gratuities, reliefs, promotions and benefactions, I think I have done my full duty in all of that regard also, and should now devote the remainder of my holdings exclusively to the support and uses of my wife and children." For Mr. Coleman's part in the vigilance committee see Annals of San Francisco (1855); Tuthill's History of California (1866); and Hittel's History of San Francisco (1878). He died in San Francisco, Cal., Nov. 22, 1893.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Cynthiana, (Harrison County) Kentucky

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