NAME, Years Elected to City Council

Leander G Cole (1830-1901) served on City Council in 1880.

POLITICAL AFFILIATION

Republican1

BIO

Leander (or LG) arrived in California in 1851 and stayed until he went to Australia in 1860. He worked in mining in California and in the stage coach business in Australia which apparently made him quite rich (he is sometimes referred to as a "capitalist.") Returning to California in 1870, he took up real estate.6 Cole was the junior partner of the Oakland Planing Mills, located at First and Washington.4 He was also the president of the Central Land Company.5

Cole is not as famous as his adopted daughter, Miss Bessie, who was deaf and mute. A graduate of the Berkeley Deaf and Dumb School, she married Douglas Tilden, the sculptor, who was also deaf. (Also newsworthy, apparently, was that she was a "decided brunette.")2 

The Cole family lived at 1545 Webster Street. Mrs Cole was very active in Oakland's social life.

Cole is buried at Mountain View Cemetery.

 

OTHER POSITIONS IN CITY GOVERNMENT

Trustee, Oakland Free Library3

 

REFERENCES

  1. "ACROSS THE BAY: Dr. Melvin Nominated for Mayor." San Francisco Chronicle: Mar 6, 1888.
  2. "Deaf-Mute Sculptor to Wed a Deaf-Mute." Dec 26, 1895.
  3. Report. Oakland Free Library: 1891.
  4. Wood, MW. History of Alameda County. Wood: 1883.
  5. Bishop's Oakland Directory, 1877.
  6. "LEANDER O. COLE IS CLAIMED BY DEATH." San Francisco Chronicle: Mar 31, 1901.
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