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 the second president of Oberlin
College and was “America’s foremost revivalist “during the 19th
century.
Letter
from Charles Grandison 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, 1849 and Dr. Cole resumed
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
