“Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County,” published:  
Chicago;  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892.

W. R. COLE, a farmer and stock-raiser of Dallas county, was born in Lucas 
county, Ohio, in 1837, the second of seven children born to A. H. and Lydia 
(Rappleye) Cole, natives of New York.  The parents were married in the latter 
State, and in 1835 emigrated to Lucas county, Ohio, where they bought 
Government land.  The father was a Baptist minister and also followed the 
occupation of farming.  He remained in Ohio until near his death, which occurred 
in 1888; the mother survived him some years, dying in Texas in 1890.

W. R. Cole, our subject, was reared and educated in his native State, and also 
attended the academy at Kalamazoo, Michigan, a few terms.  He then engaged 
in farming, and in connection with it followed surveying and had charge of laying 
and planning county roads and ditches.  He came to Dallas county, Texas, in 
1875, and bought a partly improved farm, which he afterward sold.  He now owns 
a good farm of over 200 acres, which is in a good state of cultivation, about three 
miles from the city of Dallas, and where he is also engaged in raising a good 
grade of stock.  Mr. Cole was married in Lucas county, Ohio, in 1861, to Eliza 
Taylor, a native of that county and daughter of William and Mary (Corson) Taylor, 
natives of Pennsylvania.  The parents moved to Lucas county in an early day, 
where the father became an extensive farmer and lumberman.  His death 
occurred in 1884, and his wife died some years previous.  Mr. Cole lost his wife 
by death in 1873, and by that union there was one child, Addie, now married to 
G. T. Godsy, of Dallas.  He was again married, in 1875, to Eva Balderson, a 
native of Lorain county, Ohio, and daughter of Robert and Jane (York) 
Balderson, natives of England.  The latter emigrated to Lorain county in 1849.  
Mr. Balderson still resides in that State.  Mr. and Mrs. Cole have seven children: 
Mary, Willie, Robert, Thomas, Hattie, Clara and Bertha.  The parents were both 
members of the First Baptist Church, and Mr. Cole is President of the Pleasant 
View Alliance, a member of the Farmers’ Alliance, and was the first President of 
the Central Texas Horticultural Association, which has since merged into the 
State Association.  As lecturer of the Dallas County Alliance, in 1891, he 
earnestly advocated the Alliance “sub-treasury” plan, on account of which he was 
required to resign his place on the Democratic Executive Committee of that 
county, a matter which caused no little stir in the political circles of the State of 
Texas.

Submitted by: L. Pingel