In 1900, J.(John) C. Moon (T. Coffman’s uncle), planted 80 acres of apple trees on the east side of the road and 100 acres on the west side of the road, on the Moon farm known as “Moon Springs”. This was the beginning of Moon Orchards in Barry. J. C. Moon later sold the orchard to J. W. Youle. The next owner was Henry P. Scarborough, who later took bankruptcy.

T. (Thomas) C. Coffman, brother-in-law of J. C. Moon bought the orchards, and they became known as Coffman Orchards. Through the years, T. C. Coffman bought more land, planting more trees. In 1919, he bought the Greene farm, land now owned by Carl Hart. Another 80 acre farm he bought was the Brown farm, now owned by Richard McTucker.

Clarence M. Coffman (T. Coffman) at the age of 18 took over the management of the Moon Springs Orchard having his own packing shed crew.

Coffmans owned the large metal building now standing on the north side of Highway 36, in Barry. The original building was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in 1929. This building was a cooperage shop (where barrels were made). Later the building was used as the apple packing shed. In 1938, T. C. Coffman died, and Clarence took over full management. At one time he was managing 389 acres of apple orchards. Clarence also took over the management of the Strubinger Orchards, land now owned by Dee Campbell, on Highway 36 east of Barry.

In 1941, Clarence asked Mariah Koeller how he would like to go into the orchard business. The beginning of Koeller Orchards consisted of approximately 10 acres of land that Clarence leased from George Hart and had planted into orchard. Koeller took this orchard over in 1942.

Around 1942, Clarence gradually began clearing his orchards into farming land. At first he let people cut down the trees for wood, then the bulldozers began clearing the land. By 1952, the Coffman Orchards were all gone, and it was farming land.

Clarence has lived in the Moon addition of Barry all of his life. His home place was on the site where the Harriet Wagy place now stands, at the corner of Moon and Pratt Streets. His parents then bought the home where Emmett Easley now lives on Pratt Street .

Clarence and his wife, Irene ( Fulton ), have spent most of their married life in their present home on Davis Street in the Moon Addition. They have three married daughters, Mrs. Carol Bryson of Michigan , Mrs. Linda Finkle of Jacksonville , Ill. , and Mrs. Susan Johnson of Kansas City . They have four grandchildren.

by Hattie

The Moon home (now the Hufnagel home), was the setting for this picture taken a number of years ago at what appears to have been a lovely party. We cannot identify all the little girls here, but if you number them beginning from your left on the front row, They are (1) Mary Ware Lease, (3) Dorothy Slater Stidd, (4) Ida Lewton, (6) Esther McVay, (7) Sophia Strubinger Cassidy, (8) Edna Hess. Second row (9) Ruth Marie McKinney , (13) Gladys Strubinger Sultzman, (14) Peg Watson, (15) Ann Ware Ross. Back row, LaVeta McVay, (17)* Gladys Coffman (Knight), (18) Mrs. Moon, (19)* Roberta Coffman (Strubinger), and (20) Helen Beavers Ownby. The picture which appears to be about 1905, is the propery of Mrs. Alvah Kaylor." It might be a "Fourth of July" celebration.