Titus Coan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Titus Coan
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| Born | February 1, 1801 |
| Died | December 1, 1882 (aged 81) |
| Occupation | Missionary |
| Spouse(s) | Fidelia Church Lydia Bingham |
| Children | Titus Munson, Harriet Fidelia, Sarah Eliza, Samuel Latimer |
Titus Coan (born February 1, 1801 – died December 1, 1881) was an American minister. He came from New England and spent most of his life as a Christian missionary. He worked in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Titus Coan was born on February 1, 1801, in a place called Killingworth, Connecticut. His parents were Gaylord Coan and Tamza Nettleton.
In 1831, he started studying at the Auburn Theological Seminary in Auburn, New York. He became a minister in April 1833. A few months later, in August, he went on a mission trip to Patagonia. This trip was for a group called the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
Journey to Hawaii
Titus Coan came back to the United States in 1834. He married Fidelia Church that same year. In December 1834, they sailed on a ship called the Hellespont. They were part of a group of missionaries going to the Hawaiian Islands. Back then, these islands were known as the "Sandwich Islands." They arrived on June 6, 1835.
Titus and Fidelia had four children. Their son, Titus Munson Coan, was born in 1836. He later became a doctor and served in the American Civil War. Their daughter, Harriet Fidelia, was born in 1839. Sarah Eliza was born in 1843, and Samuel Latimer Coan was born in 1846.
Fidelia, Titus's first wife, passed away in September 1872. Titus then married Lydia Bingham on October 13, 1873. Lydia was the daughter of another missionary, Rev. Hiram Bingham I. Titus Coan finished writing his life story in 1881, the year before he died. His great-great-grandson later made his book available online in 1997.
Missionary Work in Hawaii
The Coans arrived in Honolulu in June 1835. A month later, in July, they sailed to Hilo, Hawaii. Hilo became their home for most of their lives.
Titus Coan learned the Hawaiian language. He worked to teach the local people and share Christianity with them.
Volcano Observations
From 1840 to 1841, a group called the United States Exploring Expedition visited Hilo. Titus Coan met a geologist named James Dwight Dana during this time. For the next 40 years, they wrote letters to each other. Titus Coan regularly sent Dana his observations about the erupting volcanoes in Hawaii. These notes were very helpful. They helped Dana develop the idea that the Hawaiian Islands were formed by a "Hawaii hotspot" in the Earth.
Titus Coan's book describes many things he saw. These include heavy tropical rains, eruptions of the Kīlauea volcano, earthquakes, and tsunamis. He wrote about the tsunami caused by the 1868 Hawaii earthquake.
Titus Coan was often called "the bishop of Kilauea." His detailed notes were very important for scientists who studied volcanoes later on. Both his first wife, Fidelia, and his second wife, Lydia, wrote about the volcano. His sons, Titus M. and Samuel, also wrote about it. Fidelia Coan was one of the first American women to have her scientific writing published. Her article appeared in the American Journal of Science in 1852.
Building and Travels
Titus Coan led the building of Haili Church in Hilo. Construction took place from 1855 to 1859. He also traveled to the Marquesas Islands in 1860 and again in 1867. From 1870 to 1871, he and Fidelia returned to the United States. They went on a long speaking tour, sharing their experiences.
