DR.
HENRY D. LA. COSSITT, a deceased pioneer physician of Mercer County,
was born in Graby, Hartford Co., Conn., May 3, 1803, and died at his
homestead, in West Salem Township, March 1. 1877. His
great-grandfather. Reno Cossitt, was a native of Paris, France, who
immigrated to America and married Ruth Porter, of Waterbury, Conn. They
settled In Granby, Conn., and reared a family of ten children, Rene,
the grandfather of our subject, being the eldest son. He was born in
1722, and married Phoebe Hillyer, who bore him four sons and four
daughters, Capt. Silas Cossitt, an officer in the Revolution, being one
of the number. Capt Cossitt was born June 22, 1756, and married Sarah
Shepard, born July 15, 1784, and about 1805 removed from Connecticut to
Vernon Township, Trumbull Co., Ohio. They were the parents of seven
sons and two daughters. Three of the sons, Epaphroditus, James S. and
Henry D. La., subsequently became well-known physicians of Mercer
County. Capt. Silas Cossitt died May 7, 1819, and his widow again
married, and survived him till February 14, 1832. Henry D. La. grew up
in Trumbull County, Ohio, and received his education at the Mercer
Academy. He began reading medicine with his brothers, Epaphroditus and
James S. Cossitt, then practicing physicians of Mercer. After the
former went west he continued under his brother James, who finally
removed to New Castle, Penn. Dr. Cossitt attended his first course of
lectures at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Fairfield, Herkimer
Co., N. Y., in the class of 1824-25. He afterward attended lectures at
Geneva, N. Y. He was married at Winfield, Herkimer Co., N. Y., June 9,
1825, to Miss Lydia Crandall, a native of Plainfield, Otsego Co., N.
Y., born September 23, 1803. In August succeeding his marriage Dr.
Cossitt opened an office in Greenville, where he practiced his
profession for more than half a century. Seven children were born to
him of this union: Harriett J., Isaac (deceased), Lydia A., Sarah E.
(deceased), Henry D. La. (deceased), Julia E. (deceased) and one died
in infancy. In August, 1828, Dr. Cossitt was commissioned, by Gov.
Shulze, captain of the Greenville Infantry; was commissioned major of
the regiment by Gov. Wolf, in March, 1830, and in August, 1835,
lieutenant-colonel. In July, 1833, Dr. Cossitt was appointed justice of
the peace by Gov. Wolf, for Salem and West Salem Townships, including
Greenville, but he never exercised the duties of the office except at
weddings, and usually returned the fee to the bride. His wife died
September 25, 1857, and he was again married, July 22, 1858, to Miss
Elizabeth, daughter of William and Margaret McClimans, of Salem
Township. Mrs. Cossitt was born in that township March 1, 1831, and is
the mother of six children, all of whom are living: Henry D. La., Sarah
Elizabeth (wife of J. A. Doyle, of Tarentum, Penn.), William
Epaphroditus, Duran Shepard, Fred Silas and Carrie Julia. Dr. Cossitt
became a member of the Rush Medical Society of the Willoughby
University, of Lake Erie, Ohio, now Starling Medical College, of
Columbus, Ohio, February 17, 1845, and on the 25th of the same month
that institution conferred upon him the degree of M. D. He became a
member of the State Medical Society in 1871, and in 1872 was elected
its vice-president. He joined the American Medical Association in 1872,
and was also a member of the Mercer County Medical Society. Dr. Cossitt
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church from boyhood, and one of
the early supporters of the Greenville congregation. He was a life-long
Democrat, and in 1882 was the choice of his party for the Legislature,
and though defeated, in a strong Republican County, he polled a very
large vote. From the time of locating in Greenville up to within a few
days of his death he continued his professional duties with unabating
vigor, except a few years while engaged in mercantile and coal
business. His name was familiar to the people of every part of Mercer
County, and he was recognized as one of the most successful medical
practitioners of this section of the State. After practicing alone for
about ten years he formed a partnership with Dr. R. E. Breiner, which
continued till August, 1842, when he entered into a partnership with
Dr. D. B. Packard. This existed until the fall of 1857, when he took in
Dr. Fielding Donaldson, yet a practicing physician of Greenville. This
business relation was severed after about two years, and Dr. Cossitt
continued alone until 1874, when he formed a partnership with Dr. B. E.
Mossman, which existed up to his death. He died at his home southwest
of Greenville, where he had been residing for about twelve years. Dr.
Cossitt was a man of deep convictions and strong individuality, but
always courteous and generous toward his fellow men. He possessed
wonderful energy and enterprise, was generous and charitable to the
needy, and stood high both as a citizen and a physician. Ever kind and
affectionate in his home relations, his death was an irreparable loss
to his family, to whom he left a handsome estate, the legitimate
savings from more than half a century of professional toil.
History of Mercer County, 1888, pages 1173-1174
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