Silas Wattles Cole (1797 - 1875)

Born 2 Aug 1797 in Sherburne, Chenango County, New York, United States of America

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Huston) Cole — married 21 Nov 1822 in Portsmouth, Scioto, Ohio, United States

Descendants

Died 6 Jan 1875 at age 77 in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, United States of America

Biography

Silas Wattles Cole, born 02 Aug 1797 at Norwich, New York, was a son of Dinah (Crawford; 1763 - 1806) and Amos Cole (1759-1852) [per his online memorial site ^[1]]

He married first in Portsmouth, Ohio, in 1822, Elizabeth Huston. These children are listed in their online memorial sites:

• George Washington Cole (1823–1909)
• William Creighton Cole (1825–1915)
• Amos Burnham Cole (1827–1897)
• Charles Oscar Cole (1830–1903)
• Caroline Huston Cole Barber (1833–1902)
• Joseph Henry Cole (1837–1863)
• Silas Mack Cole (1839–1923)
• John Wesley Cole (1842–1914)
• James Madison Cole (1845–1935)

This was an agriculturally centered family. Census records trace them in Clay Township, Scioto County, Ohio from 1850 onward ^[2],^[3].

His first wife died in 1861, henceforth Silas W. Cole married second, 27 Jan 1864 in Scioto County, Ohio, Antoinette (Vincent) Squires, widow of John Squires.

Silas Wattles Cole died 6 Jan 1875. His grave is in Greenlawn Cemetery, Portsmouth, Scioto, Ohio.

Notes

A rare photograph taken about 1866-1870 shows an early Scioto County settler with all his children. There could be a thousand living descendants of those pictured.

The father, Silas Wattles Cole, was born in New York State in 1797, settled in Portsmouth in 1819, married in 1822, and died in 1875. The mother of the children, Elizabeth Huston-Cole (1804-1861), died before the photograph. One son, Joseph Henry Cole (1837-1863), was also deceased. He died in the Civil War battle of Chickamauga. In all, seven brothers enlisted and six fought for the Union side.

The Cole children shown are: George Washington (1823-1909), William Creighton (1825-1915), Amos Burnham (1827-1897), Charles Oscar (1830-1903), Caroline Huston Cole-Barber (1833-1902), Silas Mack (1839-1923). John Wesley (1842-1914), and James Madison (1845-1933).

The importance of Silas W. Cole was acknowledged with the selection of his portrait for the frontispiece of the impressive, authoritative book "History of the Lower Scioto Valley, OH, 1884."

- Biographical Notes provided by Ralph and Richard Howe:

Silas W. Cole was born in Chenango Co., New York State, in 1797, the son of Amos and Diana Cole. He was one of a family of thirteen children. Silas attended winter school some eight miles distant, often hiking through knee deep snow. He acquired a standard education that served him well for all business purposes.

In the spring of 1819 he started down the Susquehanna River from Binghampton with another man. Silas took a job at a school among German settlers to teach them English. In August 1819 he walked to Pittsburgh, Penn., and obtained employment at fifty cents per day. Shortly afterward he and a companion started traveling down the Ohio River arriving at PortsmouthOH, at the Market Street landing. Subsequently, he went to visit an uncle residing in Alexandria (the settlement located west of the mouth of the Scioto River, established in the 1790’s and antedating Portsmouth by several years).

On November 22, 1822, Silas W. Cole married Elizabeth Huestin (Huston), settled in Portsmouth, and engaged in the wagon-making business. In 1839 he bought a small farm about six miles northwest of Portsmouth along the Ohio-Erie Canal. Silas and Elizabeth became the parents of eight sons and one daughter: John Wesley, H. Silas (Mack), Amos Burnham, Charles Oscar, James Madison, William Creighton, George Washington, and Caroline.

Seven sons enlisted and six fought in the Civil War on the Union side. Joseph Henry, a lieutenant in the 33rd RegimentOH Volunteer Infantry, was killed in the Battle of Chickamauga.

Many positions of trust were held by Silas W. Cole, among them several terms as Portsmouth street commissioner, member of the council six years, mayor of the city, county commissioner three years, infirmary director six years, township trustee, clerk, treasurer, etc., for nearly half his life.

On November 9, 1861, Elizabeth H. Cole died, and on January 21, 1864, Silas married Mrs. Antoinette Squires. Some years later, on January 6, 1876, Silas died at age 79 following an attack of paralysis. He was buried in the Portsmouth Greenlawn Cemetery.

Note: Dinah Crofoot appears to be the mother of Silas W. Cole. Other researchers have said Lucy Clark (Burnham) which was merely copied many times in D.A.R. membership applications. However, Amos Cole was married four times and didn't wed Lucy Clark until 1816, nineteen years after Silas W. Cole was born.

1Richard Howe and Ralph Howe, Cole and Howe Family History, Compiled early 1980's (unpublished).

2History of the Lower Scioto ValleyOH, Interstate Publishing Company, 1884, The Sutro Library, 489 Winston Dr, San Francisco, California 94132.

3A History of Scioto CountyOH, with Pioneer Record of Southern Ohio, Nelson W. Evans, PortsmouthOH, 1903, The Sutro Library, 489 Winston Dr, San Francisco, California 94132.

4Caryn R. Fuller Shoemaker and Betty J. Sisler Rudity, Marriage Records, Scioto CountyOH, 1803-1860, Genealogical Pub. Co. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1987, The Sutro Library, 489 Winston Dr, San Francisco, California 94132

6Death Certificate/Record.

The following is transcribed from a copy of those pages in the 'History of Scioto County' which relate to Silas W. Cole. This booklet was authored by Nelson Evans of Portsmouth, Ohio in 1903. Copy was received from June Moody, on 19 October 1995.

Silas W. Cole was born in Chenango County, New York, August 2, 1797. He received a common school education and in 1819 he went to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in teaching English in a German school. In the summer of that year he walked to Pittsburgh. On leaving there, he, with two others, went in a skiff to Portsmouth, Ohio, where he landed and which place he afterwards made his home. As a youth he had been brought up to the trade of wagon maker. He located in Washington Twp. and followed that trade, there and in Portsmouth, until about 1825. On November 22, 1822, he was married to Elizabeth Huston, daughter of William Huston, and settled in the town of Portsmouth, on the southwest corner of Second and Court Streets. He continued to reside in Portsmouth until 1839 and from that year until 1840, he lived on a small farm along the canal on the West Side. In 1826, he was Supervisor of the east ward of Portsmouth and the same year he was Overseer of the Poor in Wayne Twp.. In 1827, he was one of the Health Officers of the town and in 1830, he was the Clerk of Wayne Twp.. In 1832, he was made an additional member of the Board of Health, in Portsmouth, on account of cholera. In 1833 and 1834, he was a member of the Town Council and one of the committee on claims. Thus he became one of the aristocrats of the town. In 1835, he was President of the Council. In 1836, he was allowed 0.00 for his services, caring for the streets. In 1837 he was elected street commissioner of the town of Portsmouth, when that office was first created. He served in the same office the following year. In 1844, he was elected a County Commissioner and served one term. In 1837, he was elected County Infirmary Director. He was re-nominated in 1867, on the Republican ticket, but went down with the great disaster to the Republicans in that year; however, he was re-elected in 1869 and served another term. In 1861, his wife died. In 1864, he married Mrs. Antoinette Squires, who survived him.

The following were the children of his first marriage: George W., who lives at Dry Run, this county; William Crayton, who resides at New Windsor, Illinois; Charles Oscar, living in Cheshire, Ohio; Amos Burnham, deceased; Caroline, the widow of William Barber, who resided in Portsmouth, Ohio; Joseph H. hereinafter mentioned; Silas, living in Washington Twp.; John, who lives on the Gable farm in Clay Twp. and James Madison of Hurlett, Wyoming.

In politics, he was a Whig and Republican. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for fifty years and a consistent one at that. His son Joseph H. Cole, entered Co. E of the 33rd Ohio as a private and was appointed Sergeant, promoted to Second Lieutenant in 1863 and on September 19, 1863, was killed at the battle of Chickamauga.

Mr. Cole was a man of severe manners and of great dignity. He was one of the plain Methodists. Had he lived in the time of the Puritans, he would have been Chief among them. He was always frugal and industrious. He was regular in all his habits and positive in his opinions. Sometimes he appeared to be abrupt and cold, but with all he was a most excellent man and citizen and a very earnest Christian. With him religion was no loose sentiment, but a set of principles to be lived every day. He held many times the office of Steward and Trustee in the Church. He died on the 6th of January, 1875, honored and respected by the entire circle of his acquaintance.

The following is from a copy of the biography of Silas Wattles Cole provided by June Moody:

He was born in Chenango County, New York (2 Aug. 1797) and was one of a family of 14 children, 9 of them born to his father, Amos and his mother, Dinah. The other 5 were born to later marriages. His early life was spent at his home in Chenango County. His father was one of the earliest settlers, having gone west from Connecticut to make his home in the 'wilderness'. His father patiently traveled on Indian trails for 40 miles, taking his 'grist' to a mill in the Mohawk Valley. His father (Amos) lived and died on the same farm to the advanced age of 94.

Silas stated that it was not easy to acquire an education in those days, but he made the most of such as was offered, by walking 8 and 1/2 miles, often through knee deep snow. He said by some industry and some flogging, the rule of 3 was reached. (He probably meant the 3Rs - Readin, Ritin and Rithmatic.) In those days, he said, that was considered a standard education.

On November 22, 1822 he (Silas Cole) and Elizabeth Huston were married and settled in Portsmouth, Ohio, where they 'engaged in the wagon making business'. They were the parents of eight sons and one daughter. Six of the eight sons served in the Union Army, serving an aggregate of nearly 17 years. William Creighton Cole was one of the six. He served on a gun boat in the Mississippi River. Another son, Joseph Henry, laid down his life at the hard fought battle of Chickamauga. He was a Lieutenant in the 33rd O.U.I.

Silas Wattles Cole wrote that on November 8, 1861, his wife, Elizabeth, who shared his cares and toils for forty years, departed this life with a bright hope of the rich inheritance in that better world.

Silas Wattles Cole said that he held many positions of public trust - member of the City Council for six years, Mayor of Portsmouth, Ohio, one term, County Commissioner for three years, Infirmary director for six years, Twp. Clerk, Trustee and Treasurer for nearly half his life. Always a 'Whig', while that party existed. He declined to belong to the 'Know Nothing' Party during the days of 'Native Americanism'. At the beginning of the Civil War, he said, the two great parties were squarely at issue on the most momentous issues ever presented to the people for their verdict and he could find no proper place to settle and had steadfastly adhered to the Republican Party ever since. Enough of this worlds goods, to supply all his wants, has been the reward of an industrious life. Peace and contentment, he said, smiled on his remaining years and he felt, that to this result a membership for over fifty years in the Methodist Episcopal Church, had contributed, in no small degree.

This information was sent to Alice Cole, Alpha, Illinois by Rae

Cole Dan born, Shenandoah, Iowa

Silas W. Cole was born in Chenango County, New York, August 2, 1797. He received a common school education and in 1819 he went to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in teaching English in a German school. In the summer of that year he walked to Pittsburgh. On leaving there, he, with two others, went in a skiff to Portsmouth, Ohio, where he landed and which place he afterwards made his home. As a youth he had been brought up to the trade of wagon maker. He located in Washington Twp. and followed that trade, there and in Portsmouth, until about 1825. On November 22, 1822, he was married to Elizabeth Huston, daughter of William Huston, and settled in the town of Portsmouth, on the southwest corner of Second and Court Streets. He continued to reside in Portsmouth until 1839 and from that year until 1840, he lived on a small farm along the canal on the West Side. In 1826, he was Supervisor of the east ward of Portsmouth and the same year he was Overseer of the Poor in Wayne Twp. In 1827, he was one of the Health Officers of the town and in 1830, he was the Clerk of Wayne Twp.. In 1832, he was made an additional member of the Board of Health, in Portsmouth, on account of cholera. In 1833 and 1834, he was a member of the Town Council and one of the committee on claims. Thus he became one of the aristocrats of the town. In 1835, he was President of the Council. In 1836, he was allowed 0.00 for his services, caring for the streets. In 1837 he was elected street commissioner of the town of Portsmouth, when that office was first created. He served in the same office the following year. In 1844, he was elected a County Commissioner and served one term. In 1837, he was elected County Infirmary Director. He was re-nominated in 1867, on the Republican ticket, but went down with the great disaster to the Republicans in that year; however, he was re-elected in 1869 and served another term. In 1861, his wife died. In 1864, he married Mrs. Antoinette Squires, who survived him.

The following were the children of his first marriage: George W., who lives at Dry Run, this county; William Crayton, who resides at New Windsor, Illinois; Charles Oscar, living in Cheshire, Ohio; Amos Burnham, deceased; Caroline, the widow of William Barber, who resided in Portsmouth, Ohio; Joseph H.; Silas, living in Washington Twp.; John, who lives on the Gable farm in Clay Twp. and James Madison of Hurlett, Wyoming.

In politics, he was a Whig and Republican. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for fifty years and a consistent one at that. His son Joseph H. Cole entered Co. E of the 33rd Ohio as a private and was appointed Sergeant, promoted to Second Lieutenant in 1863 and on September 19, 1863, was killed at the battle of Chickamauga.

Mr. Cole was a man of severe manners and of great dignity. He was one of the plain Methodists. Had he lived in the time of the Puritans, he would have been Chief among them. He was always frugal and industrious. He was regular in all his habits and positive in his opinions. Sometimes he appeared to be abrupt and cold, but with all he was a most excellent man and citizen and a very earnest Christian. With him religion was no loose sentiment, but a set of principles to be lived every day. He held many times the office of Steward and Trustee in the Church. He died on the 6th of January, 1875, honored and respected by the entire circle of his acquaintance.

- History of Scioto County. 1903.

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #23351250
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX77-QPN : 21 December 2020), Silas W Cole, Clay Township, Scioto, Ohio, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCL4-3V8 : 18 February 2021), Silas Cole, 1860.