HARVEY COLE
With various important business interests that have contributed to the agricultural and financial development of Hamilton county Harvey COLE was closely associated and his position was that of a leading and influential citizen. He was born in Rock Run township, Stephenson county, Illinois, January 21, 1850. His father, Wilson COLE, was of English descent but was of American birth. His mother, who bore the maiden name of Charlotte Wells, was born in England (??) but came to the United States at the age of twelve years. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson COLE became pioneer residents of Stephenson county, Illinois, and there they reared their family of seven sons, of whom Harvey was the fifth in order of birth. Sidney, the eldest son, joined the Union army and died during the war, while Frank passed away soon afterward. The mother's death occurred in 1863. Three of the sons, Freeman, Darwin and Harvey, went to work on a farm during the summer months and attended school in the winter, while the two younger sons, Adelbert and David, remained at home under the care of a housekeeper, being not yet old enough to attend school. Freeman, Harvey, Adelbert and David afterward became pioneer settlers of Hamilton county.
After completing his course in the district schools Harvey COLE attended Mount Morris College at Mount Morris, Illinois, and was there graduated with the class of 1871. The following winter he engaged in teaching school at Rock Run and in April, 1872, came to this state, where he homesteaded on eighty acres of land four and a half miles southwest of Aurora. At the same time he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of railroad land adjoining, for which he paid two dollars and fifty cents per acre. Through the two following years grasshoppers destroyed practically all of the crops and the early settlers were therefore involved in many hardships and trials. In 1875 Mr. Cole proved up on the homestead and returned to Illinois, where he again engaged in farming for two years, while the winter months were spent in teaching school. He then returned to Nebraska and bought another eighty acres, making his farm three hundred and twenty acres. At a subsequent period he purchased a quarter section two miles to the north and a half mile east of Aurora and thus became the owner of considerable valuable farm property. In the year 1883 he was elected county treasurer, to which office he was reelected in 1885. On first being called to the position he removed with his
family to Aurora and purchased the old home known as the Hellings place. From that time until his death he continued a resident of the county seat. In 1887 he assisted in organizing the Aurora State Bank, of which he became cashier, continuing to fill that position until 1903, when he resigned and engaged in buying live stock until June, 1906. In the latter year he returned to the field of banking, becoming one of the directors and cashier of the Fidelity National Bank upon its organization and continuing to serve until forced to resign on account of ill health in 1909. He was also a member of the Farmers Telephone Association, the Aurora Building & Loan Association and the Aurora College Building. He cooperated in many plans and measure for the public good as well as for the promotion and upbuilding of his own fortunes and his worth as a man and citizen was widely acknowledged.
At Rock Run, Illinois, in 1873, Mr. Cole was married to Miss Nellie Jane Mallory, the eldest daughter of Jasper and Elsie Mallory, of Rock Run. Her parents were early settlers of Illinois. Her father was born in Ohio and her mother in New York, but when quite young they became residents of the Prairie state. To Mr. and Mrs. Cole were born eight children, of whom two, Edwin and Roy, died in early infancy, while Jessie passed away at the age of twelve years. The five still living are: Arthur B, now of Lincoln, Nebraska, who married Rachel Isaman, daughter of one of the early settlers of Hamilton county; Carrie M., the wife of Dr .J. W. Dorwart, now of Seattle, Washington; Jasper F., who is a practicing dentist of Aurora and who married Ruth Erie Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Johnson, of Aurora; Josephine, the wife of Walter M. Boyd of Aurora; and Viva, now at home. The family circle was again broken by the hand of death when on the 4th of April, 1910, Mr. Cole passed away and was laid to rest in the Aurora cemetery. Mrs. Cole was the donor of COLE Park in Aurora, a playground for children, the gift being made in memory of her husband.
Mr. Cole was a member of Aurora Lodge, A. F. & A. M., also of the Royal Arch chapter, the Eastern Star and the Royal Highlanders. His political allegiance was always given to the republican party and in addition to the filling the office of county treasurer for two terms he served as a member of the board of education in Aurora during the early '90s and again from 1905 until 1910. The cause of the public schools always found in him a stalwart champion and he did everything in his power to promote education and improve the system of the public schools. He was keenly interested in everything that had to do with welfare and progress and his aid and influence were ever on the side of right, reform and improvement.