Alexander (Allen) Coats was born in Kentucky in 1803. We know that he arrived with his family in Teas prior to October 11, 1837 because he was eligible to receive a certificate from the Republic of Texas for 1280 acres of land in Bastrop County which he received on Feb. 16, 1838. In September of 1843, he also received a headright certificate from the Republic for 640 acres in Rusk County. He also owned several hundred acres of land in Nacogdoches County near Camp Tonkawa. His first marriage was to Elizabeth who bore him seven sons. Elizabeth died prior to September 1854. Children born to Alexander and Elizabeth in Alabama were William W., Henry A., and John Weseley. After they came to Texas they had four more sons, Charles, Jehu (Jay), Ruben and Andrew Jackson. After Elizabeth’s death, Alexander was married to his second wife, Sodusky Nall on Sept. 15, 1854 in Rusk County. Born to them was one son, John W. Coats.

Andrew Jackson (Jack) Coats was the seventh of eight boys in his family. He was born in Texas on August 16, 1846 and died there on March 3, 1903. Jack Coats served in the Confederate States Army during the War Between the States. He was listed as being in Co. B, 12 Texas Infantry. After the war, he came back to Nacogdoches County and started a farm next to his brother Jay. Jack was also a skilled carpenter. He and his neighbor, Mr. Seelbach, built several log homes in the area. His granddaughter says that she remembers seeing a two-story log house that they built near the Mahl Community. Jack was also an extremely strong man. He was not a large man, though he was around six feet tall. He won many first place titles at the log rollings in the area. A neighbor of his who watched him as a young man, said that Jack Coats could out lift and out throw any man in the county. Jack met Sarah L. Vardeman and they were married October 25, 1869. She was born April 21, 1853 in Texas and died there on August 14, 1904. Born to this union were 10 children: Mary Augustus (7-25-1870, Mrs. J.T. Banks); William Jackson (3-16-1872); Sarah Helen Scroggins); Anna Elizabeth (3-11-1876); Delia D. (1-20-1878); Claude A. (1-31-1881): Z.R. (8-27-1883); Donald Leon (5-3-1885); Norah Odes Andrew Jackson (Jack) Coats