Cough - Daniel Cough (1840-1906)

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Cough - Daniel Cough (1840-1906)

Daniel Cough was born in February 1840 in Xiamen, (pronounced Amoy) Shiqu, China in what is now the southeastern Fujian province near the Taiwan Strait in the People's Republic of China. His name "Cough" may have been "Kao Fu" in Chinese. He is said to have come to this country in 1857, probably as a stowaway on a sailing ship from Mt. Desert Island, and settled in Bernard, Maine. Daniel may have come on Captain Sylvester Lord (1807-1891) of Ellsworth's schooner. He is said to be the first Chinese person to live in Maine. Daniel married Elvira Higgins (1845-1897), daughter of Zacheus Higgins and Martha (Stanwood) Higgins, on January 17, 1870 in Tremont, Maine. The Coughs had eight children:

Mary H. Cough (1870-1890)
Adoniram Bird Cough (1872-1949)
Arno Cough (1874-1943)
Ezra Raphael Cough (1876-1944)
Rena R. Cough (1876-1879)
Caroline C. Cough (1879-1880)
George D. Cough (1881-1897)
Infant Cough (1884-1887)
Infant Cough (1887-1887)

Elvira Higgins Cough was born on Mt. Desert, but their son Ezra was born in Old Town, Maine, so the Coughs may have lived elsewhere before settling in Bernard. Daniel Cough became a U.S. citizen in 1874 and died on January 1, 1906.

"A "Heathen Chinese" sells Yankee notions in close proximity to this seat of learning, and most of the party visited his premises to see "his baby" and to get a drink of lemonade. "John Chinaman" has an American wife, marrying her at Eden; and the fruit of this union of the Mongolian with the Caucasian is a boy baby which is six months old; and the youngster excited the crowd." - Ralph's Page: Being a reproduction of articles of historical interest, selected by Ralph Stanley citing The Ellsworth American - July 8, 1871.

China Hill, a 167-foot mountain, slightly northeast of Mt. Gilboa in Tremont, Maine at a latitude and longitude of N 44.268691 and W -68.365296, was apparently named for Daniel Cough. China Hill was named for “Daniel Cough, a Chinaman, who owned it, but would not live there because he thought it was haunted.” - “The Dictionary of Maine Place-names” by Phillip R. Rutherford, published by Bond Wheelwright Co., 1971, p. 69