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Cornelius Cole

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"Senator Cole" redirects here. For other uses, see Senator Cole (disambiguation).
Cornelius Cole
Portrait by Mathew Brady c. 1860–1865
United States Senator
from California
In office
March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1873
Preceded byJames A. McDougall
Succeeded byAaron A. Sargent
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's at-large district
In office
March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865
Preceded byTimothy Guy Phelps
Succeeded bySeat eliminated
Member of the Republican National Committee from California
In office
1856–1860
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byDavid W. Cheesman
Personal details
Born(1822-09-17)September 17, 1822
Lodi, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 3, 1924(1924-11-03) (aged 102)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
Political partyRepublican
Other political
affiliations		National Union
SpouseOlive Colegrove (m. 1853)
Children9
Alma materWesleyan University
ProfessionLawyer
Signature
Military service
AllegianceUnited States (Union)
ServiceCalifornia Militia
Years of service1863
RankCaptain
Unit1st California Cavalry Battalion
CommandsSanta Cruz Troop, 1st California Cavalry Battalion
WarsAmerican Civil War

Cornelius Cole (September 17, 1822 – November 3, 1924) was an American politician who served a single term in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican representing California from 1863 to 1865, and another term in the United States Senate from 1867 to 1873. Cole, who died at the age of 102 years, 47 days, is the longest-lived U.S. Senator.

Early life and education

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Cornelius Cole was born in Lodi, New York on September 17, 1822.[1] He received his education at local common schools, Ovid Academy in Ovid, Lima Seminary in Lima, and Hobart College in Geneva.[1] He graduated from Wesleyan University of Middletown, Connecticut in 1847, studied law with William H. Seward, and was admitted to the bar in 1848.[1][2] After a year mining gold in California, in 1849 he began to practice law, first in San Francisco, then in Sacramento.[1]

Political career

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On March 8, 1856, Cole was one of the organizers of the California branch of the Republican Party, acting as secretary and writing its initial manifesto.[2] He served on the Republican National Committee from 1856 to 1860.[1] From August 1856 to January 1857, Cole and James McClatchy edited the Sacramento Daily Times.[3]

Portrait by Mathew Brady c. 1860–1865

Additionally, he was nominated on the Republican ticket for Clerk of Sacramento Court but was unsuccessful. In 1858 he was elected District Attorney of Sacramento County.[1] In 1862 he and his family moved to Santa Cruz.[1] During the American Civil War, Cole supported the Union.[4] In 1863, he was commissioned as a captain after winning an election to command the Santa Cruz Cavalry Troop, a unit he helped raise for the California Militia.[4][5] He did actively command because he had been elected to Congress.[4]

In 1862, Cole was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Union Republican, and he served one term, March 4 1863 to March 3, 1865.[1] On November 19, 1863, Cole traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with Abraham Lincoln.[6] He was on the speaker's platform near Lincoln, and both heard and saw him deliver the Gettysburg Address.[6] On April 14, 1865, Cole spoke with Lincoln a few hours before Lincoln was assassinated.[6]

In 1865, he was elected to the United States Senate, serving one term from March 4, 1867 to March 3, 1873.[1] During his final two years as a senator, Cole served as chairman of the Appropriations Committee.[7] He was also one of the senators who voted in favor of the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson.[8]

Later life

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Cornelius Cole in June 1922 at age 99

After returning to California following his retirement from politics, he practiced law in San Francisco and Los Angeles.[1] In 1880, he moved to Colegrove, where he lived in retirement.[1] Cole was the founder of Colegrove, a settlement he created on land that had been part of Rancho La Brea; he acquired the land from owner Henry Hancock as payment for helping Hancock confirm title to Rancho La Brea.[9] Colegrove was named for Cole's wife, and several streets were named for his children, including Willoughby Avenue, Eleanor Street and Seward Street.[9]

Death and burial

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Cole died of pneumonia in Los Angeles on November 3, 1924.[1] He was buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[1]

At age 102, Cole is the longest-lived U.S. Senator.[8]

Family

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In January 1853, Cole married Olive Colegrove of Trumansburg, New York.[10] They were the parents of nine children.[11]

Cole's brother, George W. Cole, was a Union Army officer in the American Civil War who attained the rank of major general by brevet.[12] After the war, George Cole was acquitted of the murder of L. Harris Hiscock, whom he accused of having an affair with Mrs. Cole.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Joint Committee On Printing, U.S. Congress (1950). Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1949. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1001 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Richards, Leonard L. (2008). The California Gold Rush and the Coming of the Civil War. New York, NY: Vintage Books. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-3072-7757-2 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Willis, William Ladd (1913). History of Sacramento County, California. Los Angeles, CA: Historic Record Company. p. 156 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b c Freshour, Sidney Glenn (1995). Wagons to Soquel, 1732-1932. Farmington Hills, MI: Glenhaven Press. p. 317. ISBN 978-0-9637-2656-8 – via Google Books. Cole signed the sworn and certified oath required for his commission as a Captain in the California Militia.
  5. ^ "California Military Registers, 1858-1923, Entry for Cornelius Cole". Ancestry.com. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com, LLC. June 23, 1863. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Personal Glimpses: The Sunny Side Of Being One Hundred". Literary Digest. New York, NY: Funk & Wagnalls. July 19, 1922. p. 38 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ U.S. Senate Committee On Appropriations (2005). Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate: 138th Anniversary, 1867-2005. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 90 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ a b "Died: Cornelius Cole". Time. New York, NY: Time Inc. November 17, 1924.
  9. ^ a b Masters, Nathan (September 27, 2013). "Hooray for...Colegrove? Remembering Hollywood's Forgotten Neighbor". PBSSoCal.org. Huntington Beach, CA: Public Broadcasting System of Southern California. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  10. ^ Cole, Cornelius (1908). Memoirs of Cornelius Cole: Ex-senator of the United States from California. New York, NY: McLoughlin Brothers. p. 99 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Morrison, Andrew Malcolm (1921). Efficiency of Life at 100 Years and More. Los Angeles, CA: Austin Publishing Co. pp. 44–45 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ a b Gordon, Ann D., ed. (2000). The Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Vol. II. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. pp. 287–288. ISBN 978-0-8135-2318-7 – via Google Books.

Sources

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  • 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)
[edit]
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's at-large congressional district
1863–1865 		Seat eliminated
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 3) from California
1867–1873
Served alongside: John Conness, Eugene Casserly 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Oldest living U.S. senator
January 10, 1909 – November 3, 1924 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Most senior living U.S. senator
(Sitting or former)
February 27, 1919 – November 3, 1924 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Oldest United States senator ever
October 11, 1921 – present 		Succeeded by
Current
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