Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-30

forbid then of very extended notice of
his life. His residence in Jefferson Coun-
ty extends through so many years and
his life has been so full of incidents that
no small space suffices for his history.
We therefore deem it of general interest
to our readers to publish the following
sketch of the long and eventtul life OF
General Cole which we take from the
History of Jefferson County by the West
ern Historical Company:
Luther A. Cole, Watertown, was born
in West Charleston, Orleans Co., VT.
Nov. 1st, 1912; his father, Ebenezer Cole,
was the fourth settler in that town; at
the age of %, he started West, and land
ed at Detroit in 1884; the following June
he took passage in the schooner Supply,
little craft Of but fifty feet keel, for
Green Bay and Grand River. The pas
sage to Green Bay occupied twelve days;
after remaining there two days they start
| ed for Grand River, which they reached
the fourth day, making sixteen days sail
! ing from Detroit. He remained at Grand
River and in its vicinity, for about elev-
en- months, being employed most OF the
time at building saw-mills and Lighthouses.
He then resolved upon visiting Wiscon-
sin, and, taking passage at GRAND Haven,
at the mouth of Grand River, in the
schooner White Pigeon, in company with
Philander Baldwin and Elisha M. Osborn
andreached Chicago after sail of about
twenty four hours Two or three days
afterward they started ON foot for Mil
waukee, following Indian trails most of
the way, and finding on the route but an
occasional settler. They arrived at Mil
waukee on the 10th day of May, 1886.
There he worked at the carpenter and
Joiner business until December, when,
taking his blanket and provisions upon
his shoulder, he started for Johnson's
Rapids (now Watertown) passing over
the road which had been cut out by Mr..
Johnson a few weeks previously, arriv-
ing on the evening of Dec. II, 1886.
Amasa Hyland accompanied him. A few
months before, Mr. Cole had, through
the agency of friend, made two claims
at the Rapids, Ole covering the farm now
owned by John w. Cole, and the other
the farm now owned by heirs of Benz. A.
Morey. About the same time, he also
made claim three miles south of Prairie
vile. In January following, he pur-
chased, at Milwaukee, three barrels of
flour, and three Of pork. He paid $40
barrel for the -four, and $40 barrel for
the pork. Building cabin, in company
with Mr. Hyland, and his brother John
| W., they commenced keeping what they
called bachelors Distress" which they
continued for nearly four years. In the
season CT 1887, Mr.. Cole worked on the
saw-mill and dam of Charles f. H. Good
| hue, & Son, at Watertown. From that
time, until the fall of 1889, he was
occupied mainly at numbering and farm
| ing. In November of the latter-named
year, in company with Mr.. Hyland, John
A. Chadwick, David Griffith, VIM. P.
Owen, William Stanton, Jr., Brice Hall,
John Dimmick, he started for Arkansas,
for the purpose of spending the winter in
chopping steamboat wood. They foated
down Rock River in skiffs, and were eight
days reaching the Mississippi. They re-
manned in Arkansas, until the following
spring, each making clever-sized "pile,"
when they returned to Watertown. The
same season, Mr.. Cole, in company with
Mr.. Hyland, Mr.. Stanton, Edmund S.
Bailey and his brother, John W., pur-
chased 400 acres of land on what is
known as Hyland Prairie, in Dodge Co.
There was then no inhabitant in the
town of Fairfield, in which that prairie is
situated The only thing in the shape Of
road, at that time leading north from
WATERFOWL, was an Indian trail. In
| 1S41, he and his brother John W., erect
ed the building on the corner of Main
and Second streets (now occupied by
August Fuerman as saloon and restau-
rant), and opened the first store in Water
town. The next year, Mr.. Bailey and
Mr.. Cole purchased of Seely Kidder $50
acres of land on the east side of river, at
Watertown, including the present site of
the village, as also the mill and water.
power. They were to pay 100000 feet
of lumber, to be delivered at Beloit with
in seven years. They associated with
them the next year Linus R. Cady and
his brother Ebenezer W., and in three
years and half from the date of the pur-
chase was made the last payment; since
which time the general business of Mr..
Cole has been milling. Selling out his
interest in the mills at WATERFOWL, in
1854, he carried on the "Rough and
| Ready Mill, one mile east OF WaLerCOWn
up to 1865. In 1866, he went to Nebras-
ka with Mr.. Lyons, and built a saw and
grist mill forty miles above Omaha, on
the Missouri River. In 1867, he also
built mill on Platte River, ten miles
south of Denver In 1869, he sold out
his interest in milling, having been en-
gagged in it for twenty-eight years of his
life, since which time, having retired
from active business, he has resided at
WATERFOWL. Mr. Cole Married Miss
Mary Jane Bracket daughter of Jerry
G. and Uranah Bracket, Of Vermont
Aug. 20, 1841, at Charleston, Orleans
Co., VT; they have had four children, two
living-Guy L. and Uranah B. (now wife
of F. l.. Clark, of Watertown), and two
deceased-GuY G. and Martha.