David Cole, Allen Parish Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
Date; July 23, 2013

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Allen Parish Louisiana Archives Biographies
Name: David Cole
Date: November 16, 1881

Source: A History of Louisiana, v.3, pp. 13-14; 1925
Author: Henry E. Chambers

DAVID COLE was the first parish assessor of Allen Parish When it was 
organized, and has had a prominent part in the business and public life 
of that section of the state. He is now head of the firm Cole & Minchew, 
general merchants at Oberlin, and is also a member of the Legislature.
He was born in Calcasieu Parish, November 16, 1881, son of Desire and 
Laura (Cole) Cole. The parents were second cousins. Desire Cole was 
descended from one of four brothers who came from Virginia to Calcasieu 
Parish and all of whom were prominent stockmen and planters here. Desire 
Cole was himself a stockman, raising cattle and sheep, and a planter in 
Calcasieu Parish and also a merchant at Dry Creek, and had extensive 
interests in the timber and logging industry. He was born in Louisiana, 
January 30, 1852, and died November 19, 1919.

The record of his paternal ancestry, stated in detail, is as follows: 
His great-grandfather, Jacob Stampley Cole, was born September 4, 1799, 
son of James Cole, Sr., and his wife Jemima Curtis. Absalom Cole, Jr., 
was born May 21, 1819; departed this life December 14, 1857, son of 
Jacob Stampley Cole. Desire Cole, son of Absalom Cole, Jr., was the 
father of David Cole.

David Cole Was a small boy when his mother died. His early advantages 
were confined to the common schools, and as a youth he was employed as 
clerk in a mercantile store. Subsequently he completed a course in the 
Bowling Green Business College at Bowling Green, Kentucky, following 
which he and his older brother, Anthony Cole, organized as the firm of 
Cole Brothers, general merchants, establishing their first store at 
Singer and later at Reeves. David Cole established and became the first 
postmaster at Reeves. They were in business there until Allen Parish was 
created, when, in 1913, David Cole was elected the first parish 
assessor. He held that office until 1917, since which year he has been 
senior partner of Cole & Minchew, merchants at Oberlin. He also has a 
large amount of farm land and is engaged in cotton growing.
Mr. Cole, who is unmarried, was elected to represent Allen Parish in the 
State Legislature in 1924. His public interest has gone out in behalf of 
good schools and good roads. He is a charter member of the Reeves Lodge 
of Masons and is a member of the DeRidder Chapter and Council of the 
Masonic fraternity.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/allen/bios/cole191gbs.txt