The Cottom Family

The following was submitted by Elizabeth Landenberger (year unknown), as part of the Bryan Family History by William Holms Bryan. The history has been left exactly as it was originally written between 1910 and 1941 . My updates are in italics - Karen Wunderlich Stezowski

A Brief history of the Cottom Family, particularly the genealogical connections between the early Bryan family and the Cottom family and the Goodge family. The later being the family of Catherine Goodge, who married a Cottom, and her sister Mary, who married a Bryan.- -William Holms Bryan (1941)

About the year 1800, William Cottom, Sr., and his wife migrated from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and crossed the Allegheny Mountains, taking with them their two young children, William Jr., and Elizabeth. Traveling in a northwestern direction thru Maryland and Pennsylvania, they reached the village of Dunbar, Fayette County, PA, where they located. Dunbar at that time had an old type of blast furnace, new of course to the people then, and was a thriving place. So William Sr., sought and found employment there.

The great-grandmother, Mary McGoogan Cottom, died about the year 1820. After her death he made his home with his son William, who then lived at Dunbar.

Note--Mary McGoogan Cottom was the mother of William, Sr., and "he" mad his home with his son William, as William, Sr., made his home with his son William, Jr..--WHB

When General Marquis de LaFayette visited the United States, in the year 1825(On May 28-29th General LaFayette visited the town with his son George Washington La Fayette. History of Fayette County pg. 294. -KWS), he shook the hand of John Goodge Cottom, who was less than a year old at that time.

Note-- It is not clear whose son John Goodge Cottom was, whether he was the son of William, Sr., or of William, Jr.. --William, Jr.. is most likely. --WHB

William Cottom, Sr., met with accidental death in about the year 1833 or 1834., leaving at least William, Jr.., and his daughter Elizabeth, to survive him, and also likely his wife.

William Cottom, Jr.., met and married Miss Catherine Goodge, whose parents lived in Dunbar, Pa. Miss Catherine had a brother John, and a sister Mary, who married James Bryan. See the Bryan Family History.

Three years after the death of his father, William, Sr., William, Jr.., and his wife and family moved to a farm at Banning, Fayette County, Pa., where they farmed for four years, and shortly afterwards he bought a farm in Lower Tyrone Township, of the same county, and moved his family there. This farm was later known as the "Cottom Homestead".

To the union of William Cottom, Jr.., and Catherine Goodge there were born eight sons and one daughter, namely:

1. Samuel Cottom, who married Elizabeth Shallenberger, was the father by her of Clarissa, Hiram, John, Alsias, William, and Agnelina.

Samuel Cottom was born 21 APR 1818 Lower Tyrone Twp, Fayette, Pennsylvania and married About 1846 Elizabeth Shallenberger. Samuel Cottom died 28 JUN 1890. 1880 United States Census
 Name  Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's BirthplaceMother's Birthplace
 Samuel COTTOM   Self   W   Male   W   61   PA   Farmer   PA   PA 
 John COTTOM   Son   S   Male   W   28   PA   Stone Mason   PA   PA 
 William COTTOM   Son   S   Male   W   24   PA   Farmer   PA   PA 
 Alcinis COTTOM   Son   S   Male   W   22   PA   Farmer   PA   PA 
 Angeline COTTOM   Dau   S   Female   W   21   PA   Keeping House   PA   PA 
 Sanford COTTOM   GSon   S   Male   W   2   PA      PA   PA 

2. William, the 3rd, who married Pheobe Sembower, was the father by her of Albert, William, and Clark. And after his wife's death, he married Nancy Cochran, who bore him two children, namely, Isaac J. and Joseph R.

William Cottom was born 12 MAR 1820. William Cottom's first wife Pheobe Sembower was born 22 JUN 1821, and died 19 AUG 1871. Albert Cottom was born 25 FEB 1846, Lower Tyrone Twp, Fayette, Pennsylvania. William (4th) was born 04 FEB 1848 Lower Tyrone Twp, Fayette, Pennsylvania. The 1880 Census lists this William as living in Toulon, Stark, Illinois age 32, Carpenter living with a wife Emma Cottom age 31, Keeping House and Abraham GALLATIN (age 28, brother in law, also born in PA).
ISAAC J. COTTOM was born to William and second wife Nancy Cochran on 13 FEB 1875, Fayette, Pennsylvania. Isaac married around 1895 to Ida M. and passed in 1952. The 1880 Census for Upper Tyrone, Fayette, Pennsylvania shows:
 Name  Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's BirthplaceMother's Birthplace
 William COTTOM   Self   M   Male   W   60   PA   Wagon Maker   PA   PA 
 Nancy COTTOM   Wife   M   Female   W   44   PA   Keeping House   PA   PA 
 Clark COTTOM   Son   S   Male   W   19   PA   Laborer On Farm   PA   PA 
 Isaac COTTOM   Son   S   Male   W   5   PA      PA   PA 
 Joseph W. COTTOM   Son   S   Male   W   3   PA      PA   PA 

3. John Cottom, who married Eliza Sarver, was the father by her of Catherine, Josiah, Mary Jane, Elizabeth, Belle, James, and William.

John G. Cottom was born 04 APR 1824. He married Eliza Sarver who was born Abt. 1829 , Indiana, Pennsylvania - 05 JAN 1892) abt 1850. John G. Cottom passed on 27 OCT 1900. The 1880 Census for East Huntingdon, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania shows:
 Name  Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's BirthplaceMother's Birthplace
 John G. COTTOM   Self   M   Male   W   56   PA   Farmer   PA   PA 
 Eliza J. COTTOM   Wife   M   Female   W   52   PA   Keeping House   PA   PA 
 James E. COTTOM   Son   S   Male   W   20   PA   At School   PA   PA 
 Mary J. COTTOM   Dau   S   Female   W   28   PA   At Home   PA   PA 
 William I. COTTOM   Son   S   Male   W   17   PA   At School   PA   PA 
 Evert COTTOM   GSon   S   Male   W   10   PA      PA   PA 

4. Elizabeth Cottom met and married one Josiah Reed. To this union were born William, Katherine, John, Martha, Sarah, Margaret, Elias, Samuel, Emma, Charles, Phoebe, and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was born 9 Oct 1826, on the family's farm in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. She was married 25 Feb 1847 to Josiah Reed, son of John REED and Margaret BROWNELLER Reed. She died 2 Aug 1904 in Scottdale, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania and was buried on 4 Aug 1904 at the Wesley Chapel Cemetary, Scottdale, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania. Josiah was born 20 Jul 1823 Rostraver Twp., Westmoreland, Pennsylvania. He died 24 Nov 1906 in Scottdale and is also buried at Wesley Chapel.

5. Wesley Cottom (called "West"), who married Sarah Newcomer, was the father by her of Martha, Walter, George, Ella, Susan, Baltert, William, and Charles.

Wesley H. COTTOM born 29 Dec 1831 Dawson, Fayette, Pa. West married Sarah J. NEWCOMER, daughter of Christian Newcomer, farmer of Tyrone Twp & his second wife, Susannah Snively. In 1867, Wesley H. Cottom was elected one of three school directors for Lower Tyrone. Wesley ran a store for several years near Broadford. Wesley Cottom as a Justice of the Peace for about 20 years. He then worked as a detective for the B. & O. Railroad and traveled extensively in this capacity. He was a Democrat. An newspaper clipping states " Squire Cottom had a very extensive aquaintance throughout Fayette county and was one of the best infromed justices to be found anywhere. He was a licensed local minister of the M. E. church and up to a few years ago supplied pulpits in various parts of the Conference." West died 25 Jul 1911 Dunbar, Fayette, Pa and was buried 27 Jul 1911 at Cochran Cemetery, Dawson, Pa. LDS lists another son, Robert N. COTTOM born 6 Jul 1863, but not Baltert.

1880 United States Census lists:
Westley COTTOM Self M Male W 48 PA Carpenter PA PA
Sarah COTTOM Wife M Female W 48 PA Housekeeper PA PA
Walter COTTOM Son S Male W 21 PA Laborer PA PA
George COTTOM Son S Male W 20 PA Laborer PA PA
Susan COTTOM Dau S Female W 14 PA PA PA
Willie COTTOM Son S Male W 12 PA PA PA
Charles COTTOM Son S Male W 9 PA PA PA
Mary ELLENBERGER GDau S Female W 2 PA PA PA


Wesley and Sarah's son Walter Henry COTTOM married Nettie TREMMEL, daughter of Ephraim TREMMEL and Elizabeth COPE on 21 Jun 1887. Nettie was born 7 Apr 1867 Berlin, Somerset, Pa and passed 12 Mar 1951 Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Oh at the home of her daughter Evelyn Elizabeth COTTOM. Walter worked as a bridge inspector for 40 years and died in 1926. Nettie and Walter are both buried at Cochran Cemetery. Their daughter, Evelyn Cottom was born 30 Nov 1888 Connellsville, Pa. She married Edwin Harold LEPLEY (11 Oct 1894 Salisbury, Somerset, Pa - 15 Aug 1980 Euclid, Oh), son of Solomon LEPLEY and Mary SMUTZ on 10 Jun 1919 in Washington, D.C. They had three children. Evelyn passed 11 Feb 1958 Cleveland, Oh. Evelyn is buried at Knollwood Cemetery (mausoleum), Mayfield Hts., Cuyahoga, Oh

I have a newspaper article about Charles W. Cottom's accidental death on Sept. 15, 1927. He was emboyed as a signal maintenance man for the B. & O. Railroad when he was accidently electrocuted at 1:05 pm. He was 57. Earlier in his career, Charles worked with his brother-in-law J.D. Ellenberger as a bridge carpenter for 4 years. He later worked at the West Newton coal mine with his brother George H. Cottom for two years. When he returned to the railroad, he ran the Signal department at Cumberland for 30 years. He attended the Christian Church of Connelsville. He had a son Paul Cottom and a daughter Dorothy. Charles Cottom is buried in Bufalo Mills, Bedford County, Pa.

Martha Cottom (23 Oct 1856-18 Jun 1939) married James Dorsey Ellenberger (18 SEP 1851-11 DEC 1930), son of Elijah Ellenberger and Jane M. Bales on March 25, 1875. J.D. Ellenberger worked as a bridge carpenter on the B. & O. Railroad in Dunbar. James worked with his brother-in-law Charles W. Cottom. It was at Martha and James' home at Speers Hill that the funeral of James' 93 year old father Elijah Ellenberger was held. He was a highly respected member of the community and his funeral was officiated by every Minister in town and a chior. James' mother Jane was bed ridden at their house at the time. "Irvin Cottom or Uniontown, an od friend and neighbor of Elijah Ellenberger, attended his funeral yesterday." - from newspaper clipping. He was intered in Alverton Cemetery.

George H. Cottom worked at the West Newton Coal mine for at least 2 years.

Susan Cottom Hardie resided in Latrobe in 1927.

6. Irvin H. Cottom (called "Irv") met and married Anna Walter, and he was the father by her of Alve, Frank, Elizabeth, Lester, Joseph, Harry A., Ethel, and Clyde. After the death of his wife, he married Miss Harriet Hutchinson, who bore him one child, named Glenn H.

7. Henry Cottom never married.

8. Lewis Cottom never married.

9. James Cottom never married.

Henry, Lewis, and James died within a few weeks of each other, while yet in their teens. It is said that death was due to an attack of Typhoid fever, a rare and uncurable disease at that time.

The last member of the third generation of the family of William Cottom, Jr., died in the year 1916.

A large number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren survive.

Submitted by Elizabeth Landenberger. Copied and arranged by William H. Bryan, son of James H., Scottdale, Pa. and a grandson of Mary Goodge Bryan sister of the wife of William Cottom, Jr.

Cottom Tree

Based on information above by Karen Wunderlich Stezowski


WESLEY H. COTTOM (1831-1911) s/o William Cottom & Catherine Goodge mar. SARAH J. NEWCOMER (1832-1905) d/o Christian Newcomer, farmer of Tyrone Twp & his second wife, Susannah Snively. both bur. Cochran Cemetery.

Children of Wesley & Sarah (Newcomer) Cottom were:
1 - Martha J. Cottom (1856-1939) mar. James D. Ellenberger
2 - Walter Henry Cottom (1858-1926) mar. Nettie Tremmel
3 - George W. Cottom (1860-1905)
4 - Florence Ellen Cottom (1861-1872)
5 - Robert N. Cottom , b. 1863
6 - Susan Cottom (1865-1948) mar. John Hardy - no issue
7 - William Edgar Cottom (1867-1890) single
8 - Charles Wesley Cottom , b. 1870; mar. Cora Elder

---Submitted by From: Joan Ruse 3/10/98

Cottoms buried in the Bryan Cemetary near Dawson
Bessie 1880-1887
Luzetta 1890-1981
Eliza J. 1828-1892
George W.A. 1875-1887
Lelia 1885-1887



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