Person:John Cochran (6)

  John and his brother Edmund came to Texas around the early 1880s.  He was for several years the postmaster at Rosser, TX.  He was a very intelligent man, well thought of in the community.

   From "Kaufman County History" by the Historical Society in writings about the town of Rosser, TX: it was in 1886 that Capt Rosser applied for a post-office, recommended John Cochran as the postmaster, and suggested the name Burton for the post office and town.  The office was granted, John Cochran was appointed, but the town and post office name assigned was Rosser.  There was already a Burton, TX. Mr. Cochran served a postmaster for two years and Capt. Rosser succeeded him.  The post office was discontinued in 1889, but reopened in early 1892.
   This history book continues: The chimney in the Cochran two story home was made of some bricks from the Montgomery Brick Plant located on the Montgomery farm outside of Trinidad (later named Rosser, TX).  The main store building was located on what is now Cochran property.  When the building was razed and the chimney dismantled a human skull was found lodged in the chimney - one of the mysteries of pioneer life in a river town.

     1880 Census-Lawrence, Kaufman, Texas from FHL Film 1255315  National Archives Film T9-1315 Page 202D
    

Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace
Andrew R. CROPSEY Self M M W 55 NY Occ: Retired Lawyer Fa: NY Mo: NY
Emma CROPSEY Wife F M W 36 VT Occ: Keeping House Fa: NH Mo: VT
John COCHRAN Other M S W 24 MI Occ: Farm Laborer Fa: NH Mo: NY

    1900 United States Federal Census
 

Name: John Cochran
Home in 1900: Justice Precinct 5, Kaufman, Texas
Age: 44 Estimated birth year: abt 1856 Birthplace: Michigan
Relationship to head-of-house: Head
Spouse's name: Nancie E (m. 10yrs, had 6 children-3 living)
Race: White
Occupation: farmer
Household Members: Name Age
John Cochran 44 MI-NH-PA
Nancie E Cochran 31 TX-AL-AL
Emma F Cochran 8
James E Cochran 6
Ida M Cochran 4
Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 79

    1910 (May 3rd & 4th) Rosser, Kaufman Co., TX census, page 11, family #213/215: John Cochran, 54 b. MI, father b. NH, mother b. NY, a general farmer, married 20 years to Nancy E. Cochran 41, b. AL, parents b. AL.  She's had 6 children - 3 living: Emma F. 18, James E. 16, and Ida M. 14.

    1920 (Feb. 25th) Kaufman Co., TX census, District 44 Justice precinct 5 Voting precinct 25, Rosser.  John Cochran, head of family 29/30, 64 years old b. Michigan, father born New Hampshire, mother born New York, a farmer.  His wife, Nancy E. Cochran 51, (she and her parents all born Alabama) and his son James E. Cochran, 21 years old, who is a soldier, home on furlough.

    1930 (April 16th) Kaufman Co., TX census, Pct. #5, page 15A, house #298/299: John COCHRAN 74 b. MI, father b. NH, mother b. PA, a farmer, owned his home, value $5000; wife Nancy E. 61 b. AL-AL-TX; he had not served in the military.

    He was aged 82 when he died, buried in Mt. Olive Cemetery at Scurry, Kaufman, TX, along with his wife Nancy and other kin.</br>