R. D. Cole Manufacturing Company records
Scope and Contents
The collection includes the records of the R. D. Cole Manufacturing Company of Newnan, Georgia, including correspondence, land deeds and other legal documents, brochures and promotional material, receipts, and other materials.
Dates
- 1827-1956
Conditions Governing Access
Open to all users.
Biographical / Historical
In 1849, R. D. Cole, Sr. moved to Newnan, Georgia, and opened a small wood shop. In 1854, he partnered with Thomas Barnes to form the firm Cole & Barnes. The next year, Cole’s brother Mathew Cole purchased Barnes’s interest, and the firm became R. D. Cole & Bro. Soon, the two admitted W. T. Cole, a nephew, making the firm R. D. Cole & Co. In 1860 or 1861, a saw-mill was started in the basement of the shop. The company started the first steam ginnery in the county in 1867, and the first portable threshing machine in the county in 1868. In 1880, R. D. Cole, Jr. and M. F. Cole each purchased a one-fourth interest, and in 1880 the company was re-organized as a stock company. The main products of the R. D. Cole Manufacturing Company were engines, boilers, steel trestles, tanks, bridges, and steel buildings.
Extent
0.42 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language
English
Overview
Records of the R. D. Cole Manufacturing Company of Newnan, Georgia, including correspondence, land deeds and other legal documents, brochures and promotional material, receipts, and other materials.
Physical Location
Collection is located at the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society in Newnan, Georgia. Please contact the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society for instructions on access and use.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Dr. Michael Camp in November 2019 as part of the Community Archives program at the University of West Georgia Ingram Library Special Collections.
Processing Information
In June 2019, University of West Georgia Ingram Library Special Collections and the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society executed a Memorandum of Agreement under which Special Collections would assess and prioritize processing of archival collections held by the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society, assess preservation needs, and arrange and describe archival materials, thereby making them more publicly accessible. Work on this project was conducted under the leadership of Dr. Michael Camp starting in August 2019.
Processing Information
Funding to support this project was generously provided by the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC) and the Board of Directors of the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society.
- Title
- R. D. Cole Manufacturing Company records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Michael Camp
- Date
- 2019
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society Repository
McRitchie-Hollis Museum
74 Jackson Street
Newnan GA 30263 USA
770-2510207
executivedirector@newnancowetahistoricalsociety.com