Rector Elisha Cole
Rector Cole’s Home on 10 acres in West Oakland at 10th and
Adeline
Rector Elisha Cole was born in Madison,
Ohio November 20, 1819. Madison was in
rural Ohio and his family later moved to Oberlin to afford better educational
opportunities. While at Oberlin Rector
Cole met Mary Philanda Finney, whose uncle, Charles Grandison Finney, became
president of Oberlin
College and was “America’s foremost revivalist “during the 19th
century.
Letter
from Charles Gradison Finney dated 14 December 1871
The following is from the Finney family
bible:
Mary Philanda Finney, b. in Mexico, N Y 29 Jan 1827,
married 6 Oct 1847
at Newburyport, Mass. by her father to Rector Elisha Cole, a dentist, of
Danton,
Mass, who was born in Madison, Ohio, 20 Nov. 1819, son of Justin and
Clarissa (Merriman) Cole. They lived in New Orleans La. for two years, in
Haverhill, Mass., two and a half years; in San Francisco, Cal., for seven
years;
and settled , in July 1858 at Oakland, Cal., where they were living in 1874.
RECTOR ELISHA COLE
From a history book in the Oakland History Room at the Oakland Main Library
The more remote ancestry of R.E. Cole in this country
commences with Samuel Cole who came to America with his wife in 1630. Robert Cole, a person of the same family name,
came also from England at the same time, in the same ship, was made a freeman
in that year, removed subsequently to Providence, Rhode Island, and assisted in
organizing the first church there, under the leadership of the celebrated Roger
Williams. A descendant of this Robert
was John Cole, one of the early settlers of Narragansett, Rhode Island, who in
1668 was a magistrate when that country was under the jurisdiction of
Connecticut: and also when in 1682 it came under the final control of the magistrates
of Rhode Island, he was confirmed in his authority to administer justice to its
inhabitants. John Cole married a
daughter of the distinguished Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, and died in 1706, leaving a
son Elisha to succeed him, who became a lawyer.
This son Elisha left a large family, including several talented sons,
among whom John became most distinguished.
He obtained a good education, for these early days, in the English
branches, and Latin and Greek under a private tutor, studied hard, and
commenced practice in Providence, where his talents and address soon acquired
him an extensive practice. He was
elected associate judge of the supreme court of the colony in 1763, and the
succeeding year was exalted to chief justice.
He sternly opposed the stamp act; and resigned his seat on the supreme
bench, in 1755, to be elected member of the assembly from Providence, in order
more effectually to carry out his opposition.
The next year he was elected speaker of the house, and in 1775, at the
opening of hostilities with the mother country, Mr. Cole was appointed
advocate-general of the admiralty court, which office he held through
life. He was an able and faithful
advocate, and a tower of strength for the revolutionary cause. His brother Edward was a well-educated and
accomplished gentleman, predisposed to a military life, was colonel, under
General Wolfe, at the taking of Quebec also, at the capture of Havana, Cuba,
under Albermarle; and afterwards was appointed to
form a treaty with the Western Indians.
He died in 1793.
Dr. Rector
Elisha Cole, of Oakland, California, was born in the town of Madison, Granger
County, State of Ohio, on the twentieth day of November, 1819. His father, Justin Cole, was born in Dalton,
Berkshire County, Massachusetts February 4, 1787. His mother's family name was Merriman, born
in 1793; their marriage occurring August 8, 1811. The succeeding year they moved to the
wilderness of northern Ohio, and settled upon a farm, where were born to them
nine children. Dr. Cole enjoyed, at this
early period, all the advantages the new State of Ohio afforded for
education. At the age of twenty, his
father dying, the family removed to Oberlin, Ohio, where better facilities were
afforded for obtaining an education.
Subsequently, the death of a beloved sister, and his own impaired
health, induced him to seek a more genial climate, in New Orleans,
Louisiana. Having previously read
several practical works on dentistry, he entered an office in that city, where
he remained in the capacity both of pupil and assistant, during two years. In 1849, having entered into an engagement to
proceed to San Francisco, California, as assistant assayer, he embarked on the
steamer Galveston, accompanied by a
large number of passengers for the same destination. The vessel was forty days in reaching
Chagres; and two weeks more were consumed in crossing the isthmus, with the
machinery for their contemplated works; arriving at Panama in April, 1849. The ship Humboldt
having been hastily fitted for the occasion, Dr. Cole and party, on the
twentieth of May, re-embarked; and on arriving at Acapulco, Mexico, was left
behind, to attend a sick companion who some few days subsequently died. In October he secured passage on the English
ship, Unicorn, and arrived in San
Francisco, October 10, 1849. The death
of two of the company led to the abandonment of their original enterprise, and
Dr. Cole determined to resume his profession.
He opened an office on Clay Street, opposite the plaza, where, during
twenty-two years, he devoted himself entirely to the practice of
dentistry. In 1871, the impaired state
of his health induced him to visit the eastern States. After a brief absence he returned to his home,
in Oakland, and again devoted himself to his life's occupation. When the board of education, of the city of
Oakland, was organized, Dr. Cole was elected one of its members. During many years he has been one of its most
efficient members, and is now its president.
His fellow-citizens, in grateful recognition of his services, have given
to one of their public schools the name of the Cole School. Dr. Cole is a member of California lodge of
F. and A.M. He assisted in its
organization, in 1849, served three years as master, and was also a member of
the State grand lodge. He has likewise
been, since the age of fifteen years old, a member of the Congregational
church. He was one of the organizers of
the church in Oakland, and has been moderator of its board since its
organization, and seven years superintendent of its Sunday school. In politics he is a Republican, and was a
member of the first Republican convention held in California. In his profession, Dr. Cole has attained the
highest position. In 1860, the Ohio
College of Dental Surgery, at Cincinnati, conferred on him the honorary degree
of Doctor of Dental Surgery. He married,
in 1847, Mary P. Finney, daughter of Rev. George, of Newburyport,
Massachusetts. They have three sons to
perpetuate his name. Dr. Cole is a most
affable and obliging gentleman, and in all respects a fine specimen of the
enterprising American-Californian.
Rector Cole died October 15th, 1890.
Cole School, Oakland, 1887.
Jack London is second from right in second row from bottom, in bow tie.
As of 2013 Cole School is the
headquarters of the Chief of Police
