Howard W. Cole Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 1026-1029

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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HOWARD W. COLE, joint-proprietor of the "Fuller farm," and manager of 
the estate, is one of the men to whom in coming to Dakota the state may 
well accord its gratitude. A portrait of him is presented on another 
page. He has connected himself with the business interests of Brown 
county, and the public affairs of that county, in a manner wholly 
creditable, and is entitled to his success. The estate of which he is 
part owner consists of fourteen hundred and forty acres of land and the 
buildings thereon in section 32, in Claremont township, and he has 
conducted the business of the farm to the satisfaction of all concerned 
as owners. 

Mr. Cole was born in Montcalm county, Michigan, March 29, 1857, and was 
the oldest of a family of four children born to Leander T. and Sarah 
(Stout) Cole, both of whom are now residing in Dakota. When fourteen 
years of age our subject began to earn his own livelihood,and worked at 
farm work until the fall of 1880. August 9, of that year he went to 
Groton, Brown county, South Dakota, and- took land in Riverside 
township. He had about two hundred dollars in money with which to make 
his start, and lived alone in a little shanty one year. He sold his 
pre-emption right in 1882, and took a homestead in Claremont township, 
on section 25, and resided there two years, his wife joining him while 
there. In the spring of 1884 he began working by the month in charge of 
the Fuller-farm, and in 1885 Mr. Fuller sold his farm, then containing 
one section of land, to Adams and Webber, and our subject was retained 
to manage the farm. He purchased a fourth interest in the estate in 
1886, and has since become joint-proprietor as well as manager. The 
crop usually exceeds one thousand acres, and of late he has been 
extending the stock interests. He has been experimenting extensively in 
grasses, and after five years of careful trials is satisfied the 
Hungarian broom grass is a success, and the most profitable, yielding 
about three tons per acre. He is thoroughly conversant with his 
calling, and has made a success of farming. He is careful in details, 
and puts his time and means to the best possible advantage, and is 
practical and earnest in his work. 

Our subject was married, in 1880, to Miss Theresa M. Howell. Three 
children have been born to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Cole, as 
follows: Arthur, Mildred and Mary. Mr. Cole is a member of the Masonic 
fraternity and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is prominent in 
public affairs in his township and county, and as an interested worker 
for educational advancement has served eight years as school treasurer. 
In political faith he is a Republican, and favors prohibition and equal 
suffrage principles. He has attended all of the county and state 
conventions of his party for the past eight years, and has served as a 
member of the Republican central committee. He exerts his influence for 
good local government, and in every manner possible raises the standard 
of excellence in public affairs. He is earnest, honest and persevering, 
and is held in the highest esteem by his associates. He has made his 
home in Brown county since its early days of settlement, and has always 
been found zealously working for its upbuilding in a financial as well 
as social sense.