Cornelius Cole (September 17, 1822 – November 3, 1924) was an American politician who served a single term in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
as a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
representing
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
from 1863 to 1865, and another term in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
from 1867 to 1873.
Cole, who died at the age of , is the longest-lived U.S. Senator.
Life
He graduated from
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...
in 1847 and was admitted to the New York bar. In his lifetime he practiced law in his adopted state of California first in San Francisco, then in Sacramento. After returning to California following his retirement from national politics he practiced in San Francisco again and finally in Los Angeles with his eldest son Willoughby.
On March 8, 1856 Cole was one of the organizers of the California branch of the
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
, acting as secretary and writing the manifesto. The 22 men who signed the organizing document included
Edwin B. Crocker
Edwin Bryant Crocker (26 April 1818 – 24 June 1875) was a California Supreme Court Justice and founder of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California.
Biography
Crocker was born in Jamesville, New York to Isaac and Elizabeth Crocker. He e ...
, the organizer of the new party, and
Collis Huntington
Collis Potter Huntington (October 22, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was an American industrialist and railway magnate. He was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who invested i ...
. From August 1856 to January 1857, Cole and
James McClatchy
James McClatchy (1824–1883) was an American newspaper editor. He was the second editor of '' The Sacramento Bee'', which grew into The McClatchy Company, taking over just days after the newspaper began publication as ''The Daily Bee'' in Februa ...
edited the Sacramento Daily Times, which was printed in the 54 K Street offices of the Central Pacific Railroad. It was short lived lasting only a few months after the 1856 National election.
Additionally, he was nominated on the Republican ticket for Clerk of Sacramento Court, but failed to get elected. In 1858 he was elected as District Attorney of Sacramento County. In 1862 he and his family moved to Santa Cruz located on Monterey Bay. It was from there he went to the US Congress in 1863.
In 1880 he moved to southern California where he owned one of the original Spanish/Mexican landgrants, what is now known as Hollywood, then was dubbed
Colegrove after his wife, Olive Colegrove. There are several streets now named after the family; Cole St., Willoughby Ave., Eleanor St. and Seward St.
The eastern California community of
Coleville in Mono County is named for Cornelius Cole.
Cole's brother,
George W. Cole
George W. Cole (March 26, 1827 – December 9, 1875) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. His wartime commands included the 2nd United States Colored Cavalry, and he attained the rank of major general by brevet. In 1867 ...
, was a
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
officer in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
who attained the rank of
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
by
brevet
Brevet may refer to:
Military
* Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay
* Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college
* Aircre ...
. After the war, George Cole was acquitted of the murder of
L. Harris Hiscock, whom he accused of having an affair with Mrs. Cole.
References
*Cornelius Cole, "Memoirs" (New York, 1908)
*Catherine Coffin Phillips, "Cornelius Cole California Pioneer" (San Francisco, 1929)
*Leonard L. Richards, "The California Gold Rush and the Coming of the Civil War" (New York 2007)
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Cornelius
1822 births
1924 deaths
Wesleyan University alumni
California lawyers
New York (state) lawyers
Editors of California newspapers
Republican Party United States senators from California
People of California in the American Civil War
American centenarians
Men centenarians
People from Lodi, New York
Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California
19th-century American lawyers