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GARFIELD
COUNTY, COGENWEB PROJECT
Ed Cole
Ed Cole moved to Rifle from Meeker in 1909, was born
before Colorado became a state. In both towns he made a remarkable difference.
This is his brief bio.
Edgar Maurice Cole was known by either just Ed or as
Cooley. He was born May 13, 1875 in Fairplay. Records show he was baptized
August 1875 in Colorado Springs.
His sister Maude was born in Fairplay in
1877, and the 1880 census still has him in the same place. Next available record
is 1896 when his father James was living on Piceance Creek. Then, in 1900, Ed
was single and a lodger living in Meeker.
Ed did not marry until just before
he turned 40 years old and he was living in Rifle. On February 7, 1915, he was
married to Edna Augusta Oglesby by a JP in Glenwood Springs.
Edna was born
in 1877 according to Colorado state marriage records so she was also an older
bride at 38 years old. She was born in Edwards Illinois. There are no records of
children.
In August 1892, the Meeker newspaper has Ed as part of a group of
young people and parents from Piceance who had spent two weeks on the upper
White River eating trout and raspberries. That group included the Green,
Chivers, Cole and other families.
In May of 1896, Ed had caught a string of
horses in the White River country and brought them over to Rifle. The article
said he was going to ride with the boys on the roundup.
In 1898, he nearly
drowned in the White River about 7 miles upriver from Meeker. He fell in deep
water, filled his boots with water, and just barely made it back to shore.
November 1900, he was elected a constable in Rio Blanco County. Also in November
he is listed as left end for the town of Meeker football team in a game to be
played against Thornburg on Thanksgiving day.
A news report September of 1903
has Ed as a member of Army troop D and who were sent to Cripple Creek. Some
peace keeping required there. Also in September, Ed is reported to be a member
of a survey team sent to Divide Creek
A photo is attached here from 1905 that
shows Ed holding a rattlesnake in each hand. A 1906 story reports Ed was back in
Meeker as part of the government survey corps.
In May of 1908, he took a job
on the Meeker Hotel staff. However, it was temporary as he was also about to go
on a state surveying team. That must have been part time because in August 1908,
he resigned the Meeker Hotel job, moved to Rifle, and became the agent for the
Auto Stage Line.
In November 1909, he was part of a group in Rifle who was
sending a football team to Meeker to compete. And, as he visited Meeker, the
newspaper said he was working for the Clark Winchester Hotel. Another story says
he was a very popular hotel clerk especially to Meekerites.
The 1910 census
listed Ed as a bartender. However, in October 1910, Ed was at a new gig as the
agent for the Meeker Rifle Stage Line.
In May of 1913, he took the job of
Desk Clerk for the Winchester Hotel. In November 1914, Ed found the cash
register missing when he came to work. It was found smashed open back behind
Fred Garrison's place.
As noted above, in February 1915, Ed and Edna were
married. In May 1915, the newspaper began using the name Coley to refer to Ed.
In the spring of 1916 Ed and his brother-in-law Will Tillotson started a dairy
farm at Rifle. Soon, it was not working out and the partnership was dissolved.
In June, he and Edna moved into town to a rent house and he resumed his old
position as Clerk of the Winchester Hotel.
In July 1916 Ed bought a new Ford
from Elmer Graham. In December 1917, he upgraded to a new Overland. Then in
August 1918, Ed with friend Ed Webb the saddle maker and their8 wives, all went
up to the Marvine lakes in that car.
Ed was active in the Woodmen of the
World and was Camp Commander in 1917-18. He was also active in the Rifle Chamber
of Commerce and was secretary during 1917.
January 16, 1918, Ed and Edna
bought the Winchester Hotel. They began a series of changes to update the 38
year old building, especially to the kitchen and dining room, which was
relocated to the former pool hall room. In March 1918, the newspaper reported
his update was completed.
In June 1918, Ed was appointed Labor Committeeman
for the Rifle District, a war time post. He was supposed to do everything
possible to supply farmers with plenty of help at harvest given that manpower
was short.
In September 1918, his WWI registration card says he was working
as a clerk in the Pure Foods Grocery store.
Ed was also a member of the
volunteer fire department. In March 1919, he was elected foreman hook and
ladder.
April 1919, the Western Stockgrowers held the annual meeting in
Rifle. Ed was a co-chair along with Elmer Chapman the stock inspector and Frank
Squier the Stockgrowers president.
In May of 1919, Ed was Chairman of the
Chautauqua Ticket committee. In those years, it being sort of a week long county
fair, with similar programs done all across the state.
In December 1919, the
Telegram-Reveille ran a story that Ed had taken a job as clerk at the Rifle
Pharmacy. I suspect that was not true and was a fun jab at him by the paper's
editor.
The 1920 census listed Ed as a chauffeur. In May of 1920 he was
running newspaper ads for his Auto Livery business
In July 1920, he bought
the Quick Lunch Room restaurant from William Lingenfelter. Then in August 1920,
he was secretary of the Apple Pie Day committee and was soliciting for 15
gallons of cream to be delivered at his restaurant.
In 1923 he and partners
Florence and Eugene Hill built the gas station known as Cooley's. The building
still exists and is on the NE corner of 3rd Street and East Avenue.
The 1930
census listed Edgar as proprietor of a filling station.
One more function
reported over and over in the newspaper is auction clerk. It looks like almost
every public auction, he was the record keeper.
Edgar passed away in 1937 and
Edna in 1962. Could not find the calendar dates. They are both buried at Rose
Hill.
So that is the rest of the story. Not just a filling station owner.
Ed Cole Marriage Record
Ed Cole Registration Card
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