James Kooken

James Kooken was from the neighborhood of Philadelphia, and moved to Ohio in 1810. Soon after his arrival, the war of 1812 broke out, when he enlisted, and fought until peace was declared. After the close of the war, and from 1816 to 1823, he was Warden of the Ohio Penitentiary. About the year 1824, he moved to Delaware County, and started a tavern three miles south of Delaware, near where the town of Stratford is located. In 1833 he moved and two years litter, laid out the village of Bellepoint.

James married Eleanor Porter. (Eleanor Porter was born on 22 Oct 1777 in Somerset Co., NJ, died on 18 Sep 1823 in Delaware Co., OH and was buried about 21 Sep 1823 in Stratford Cemetery, Delaware Co., OH.)