The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-24
COL, COLE IS DEAD
Passes Away While Visiting
in Portland, Oregon.
HIS HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA
First of That Territory That
Was Ever Written.

News of the death of Colonel E. c.
Cole was received yesterday by his
brother, L. r. Cole, of this city.
Colonel Cole. known far and wide in
the west, died at Portland, Oregon, it is
thought, from a throat affection caused
by excessive smoking. the ailment which
attacked President Grant
! The late Colonel Cole had wonderful
history and much of it pertains to Wich-
men, who through the eighties, agitated
early and late for the opening Of Okla
hona to settlement and, in an attempt 10
| force its opening by taking possession OF
the land, where Oklahoma City now
stands ne was seized by the United
States soldiers and conveyed, a prisoner,
/ TO Fort Reno He also has the honor Of
writing the first history of Oklahoma, a
| book which In fifteen years has become
very rare, and copies of which are highly
| treasured.
Colonel Cole also took part in the great
boom OF Wichita and was one OF the
finest real estate men in the country. He
had also to do with the early boom Of
Chicago and built many buildings there.
Colonel Cole was the Oldest of FIVE chill
| dren. the others being J. s., who was
| once in the clothing business in Wichita,
R. l., now a resident of this city, Syl-
vester, and Abilene Cole, an only sister
who lives at present in Portland.
He was born in Tompkins county, New
York, in 1S4l. He moved to Pontiac,
Michigan, in his youth and later to Mar
quette. Lake Superior, where he learned
the printers trade. In 1862 he went TO
Chicago. In temperament Colonel Cole
from the start was optimistic.
In all realty matters he was essentially
bull He believed in increasing values
and population, and he played this side
Of the market continually. 1t was natural
for him, as he did, to accumulate and
lose successfully during his life time sew
eral fortunes. He built block after block
in the West Side in Chicago and made
a fortune. He also built railroad in
Colorado. In 1884 ne picked out Kansas
as one of the particularly favored spots
in the universe and went 10 Kingman,
Kansas. His arrival there lent an i'm
mediate stimulus to things. He doomed
Kansas and KingTnan right and left. He
issued a real estate paper and advertised
as few men had ever advertised before.
But Wichita was climbing up rapidly
and he could not resist its attractions
and came here. He plunged into the real
estate cyclone with vigor and with great
er belief IN the future of the city than
his fellows. He laid out the Carey Park
addition which now lies north of Fair
view. The style Of the real estate firm
then was E. c. and R. L. Cole. Just as
the boom collapsed this firm laid out the
addition north of the Carey Park, and
arranged for public auction in hdvertis-
ing which an expenditure of $50 was
made Before that Colonel Cole had been
turning his attention to Oklahoma In
1885 ne and his companions were taken
charge Of on the present site of Okla
homa City and hauled up before Colonel
Sumner at Fort Reno as trespassers.
When Oklahoma was. in 1859. opened, one
of the first men over the line was Colonel
Cole He located al what is now the city
of kingdsher and laid out the city of
coletown which adjoined the city Of Lis
bon, out of which the city OF Kingfisher
has come. Afterward he moved 10 Hen
Messy. and in 1893 was present at the
opening Of the Cherokee Strip. After
that he went back to his first love. Chi
cage, and was appointed by the mayor,
Mr.. Swift. expert on realty titles.
About eight weeks ago he went TO Port
land, Oregon. on a visit and his death
soon followed.
Up to the very last Colonel Cole retain
ed his native Unborn optimism He be-
lieved that Wichita was destined to make
a great city. He had been close observ-
er of boom conditions n many different
sections and ne banked on the belief
that city was built by expansions and
depressions. He believed this was the
course Wichita would take and that It
would gain eventually an immense and
commanding population ne never doubted.
Personally. he was genial. whole
souied man, with an open heart and Civ
ing hand. He had host Of friends who
VIII read with sorrow this morning OF his
death. Ia Wichita he was for years a
familiar figure, known for his faith in
this city and his public splritedness.