JOSHUA HUSTON COTTINGHAM, one of Elizabeth Township's most respected retired farmers, resides on the farm on which he was born, November 30, l828, this being a tract of 125 acres, located in Section 25, on the Tippecanoe City and Elizabeth Road, in Elizabeth Township, Miami County, Ohio. His parents were Joshua Enniss and Elizabeth (Harritt) Cottingham.

The Cottingham family came originally from England and the grandfather of Joshua H. Cottingham, William Cottingham, was born probably in Maryland or England. He married Mary Enniss, and in a few years moved to Kentucky; they subsequently came to Ohio and resided until death in a home at Dayton, situated about where Woodland Avenue now extends. They had five children, namely: Joshua, Nancy, Leah, James and William.

The father of Joshua H. Cottingham came to Miami City from Greene County, December 31, 1822. He was interested in agricultural pursuits all his life and acquired a farm of sixty-one acres in Elizabeth Township. For a number of years before the railroads were built he engaged in teaming, carrying produce frequently as far as Columbus and Dayton, this being very lucrative employment at that time. Stage coaches conveyed passengers, but all other transportation had to be done by the wagoners or teamsters. His father had built the brick house on the present farm in 1831, and here the father of Joshua H. Cottingham lived until his death, which occurred when he was aged eighty-six years. The house remains very much as it was in those days, little change having been made in the shape of the building when necessary repairs were made. The barn was built about I858 and the present owner has added twenty- four feet to it.

Joshua Enniss Cottingham married Elizabeth Harritt, a daughter of Robert and Abigail Harritt, and to this union were born eight children, namely: Mary Leah, William, Robert, Abigail, James, Joshua H., Elizabeth and Louisa, all of whom are dead with the exception of Louisa and Joshua H.

Joshua H. Cottingham first went to what was known as the Kepper school, not far from his home, and when grew older he went to school in Troy for one winter. He helped his father on the farm and also, after he was twenty-one, frequently worked for farmers in the neighborhood, and spent one year as a farmer in Indiana. After he came back to Miami County he married and then rented the Rose farm in Lost Creek Township, for one year, going from there to Mrs. Haywood's farm, in the Bottoms, from there to his father-in-law's farm. He then moved to Troy for a time, later went on the Teneick farm and then went back to the homestead and bought his father's farm of , sixty-one acres, together with fifty acres from Jacob and John Mann. For many years thereafter Mr. Cottingham engaged in general farming and stock raising, and was considered one of the leading agriculturists of Elizabeth Township during his active years.

On February 14, l856, Mr. Cottingham was married to Miss Elizabeth Bousman, a daughter of Leonard and Elizabeth (Jackson) Bousman, and they have two children: Milton A., who married Jennie, a daughter of Peter and Sarah Fair, of Tippecanoe City; and Freeman O., who married Laura E., daughter of William B. and Annie Widener. Mr. Cottingham attends and gives support to the Methodist Episcopal Church of Tippecanoe City. In politics he is a Republican and has served for some years as township trustee.