O.C. Cole


Company Names, addresses, dates:
  O.C. Cole, Corner Main & Davis Streets, Culpeper VA (1885-1886)1
  O.C. Cole, Corner East & Davis Streets, Culpeper VA (1886-1888)2,3

Notes:
Orville Carson Cole (1860-1928)4 was a drug store owner.
He started out with a drug store in Culpeper on the corner of Main and Davis Streets. I'm not sure which corner this was, but apparently his building burned in April 18861.
He had a new building errected on the corner of East and Davis Streets, and moved in by December of that year.2

In January 1888, it was reported that he had mysteriously disappeared just as he was about to be married. He returned a few days later just long enough to sell his store to his brother, then he left town again. It was also reported that he had been engaged to a young lady at Manassas, in addition to the woman he was about to marry in Culpeper.5

I don't know how long his brother held the drugstore, but I don't think it was very long, because by March of 1888 the drugstore was owned by Robert B. Macoy 3.

In later years (1910, 1920) the US Census lists Cole as a druggist in Memphis Tennesee, so apparently he persued his career there. It also lists him as married to a woman named Willie May, so apparently he eventually went through with a marraige.


Bottles:

cole_01 This is a clear 3.9" bottle embossed:
vertical: O.C. COLE / DRUGGIST / CULPEPER, VA.


1 Alexandria Gazette, 5-Apr-1886, page 3, article: "The Fire at Culpeper"
2 The Exponent (Culpeper VA) newspaper, 17-Dec-1886, page 3
3 The Exponent (Culpeper VA) newspaper, 2-Mar-1888, page 3
4 Death certificate for Orville Carson Cole, died 6-Jan-1928 in Memphis Tenn
5 Staunton Vindicator, 3-Feb-1888, page 2




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This page last updated on August 30, 2022.