Alvin Aaron Coffey, born on July 14th, 1822, began life as the slave of Margaret Cook of Mason County, Kentucky. His parents were Larkin Coffey and Nellie Cook. He married Mahala Tindall on October 9, 1842 in Kentucky. Cook sold Coffey in 1834 to Henry H. Duvall and in 1846, Duvall sold Coffey to Dr. Bassett for $600. Coffey worked on Bassett's farm for 3 years, going to California with him in 1849. The Bassett party left St. Louis on April 2, 1849, for St. Joseph leaving there on May 5th. The group endured a cholera epidemic and at Deer Creek (Sacramento Valley), they divided up the wagons. The Bassett party moved to Clear Creek and began dry-digging where Coffey worked for Bassett for 13 months in Cal. saving $616 to buy his freedom. Bassett took Coffey's money travelling with him back to Missouri, via New Orleans, and sold him again for the amount of $1000. Coffey returned to California in 1854 and lived in Shasta County until 1857. He saved the money to buy his and his family's freedom, returning East to get them. Returning to Shasta County in 1857, he bought a farm in Tehama County and was employed by the Government during the Modoc War. Later, Coffey lived in the Home for Aged Colored People in Alameda County, and became the only Negro member of the California Society of Pioneers.
From the description of Autobiography and Reminiscence of Alvin Aaron Coffey, Mills Seminary P.O., 1901. (The Society of California Pioneers). WorldCat record id: 55987615
