county recorder, was born on September 22, 1815, in West Bloomfield, Ontario county, New York. His parents were Nathan and Mary Cole, natives of New Hampshire, who located in New York in 1808. Here they remained until 1817, when they removed to Ohio, locating temporarily in Granville, Licking county. After one year's sojourn at that point the family removed to Franklinton, this [Franklin] county, where they passed the remainder of their lives. The mother died October 13, 1844, and the father on October 21, 1856. The subject of this sketch derived his education, as but he might, during the winter sessions of the district school, aided greatly by the teaching of his mother. When sixteen years of age he became a clerk in the store of Jacob Grubbs, one of the early merchants of of Franklinton. Here he remained until the spring of 1835, when he went into business for himself. He was prospering finely when the panic of 1837 struck the county, and, having but little capital, he was swept away by the rapid current, and with thousands of others, found himself, when the storm subsided, penniless. He was engaged in teaching school, and in March, 1840, entered the office he now occupies, as clerk for his brother, then recorder. He continued here until 1846, during the winter assisting the county treasurer in the duties of that office. In October, 1846, Mr. Cole was put in nomination for the office of recorder, for Franklin county, but the Democratic party, and elected in opposition to William T. Martin, a time-honored incumbent, to the office, and no better evidence of his fitness can be given than that he has been continuously elected to the office until the present period. Mr. Cole is entitled to great credit for the able manner in which he has remedied the damage produced by the incendiary fire in his office in January 1878 [1879], which destroyed several volumes, and he has ever been an efficient and faithful officer. On July 31, 1836, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary, daughter of David and Phebe Sayles, who were natives of Providence, Rhode Island. The children are as follows: Hannah, who is deceased; Clara, Mrs. Robert L. Willie; Lannassa M., Mrs. Charles E. Luckhaupt; Nathan, who married Miss Ella Say; Mary, Mrs, Joseph H. Stoddart; and George, who remains at home.

Mr. Cole says he is a Democrat of the Tom Payne, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln school.

[Emil Kiesewetter], county auditor, was born on the fifteenth day of May, 1845. He is the third child of Theodore E. and Joanna E. Kiesewetter, natives of Germany, who emigrated to America in the year 1844. They located temporarily in Prairie township, this county, where they resided until 1849, when the removed to Columbus. Here the mother died August 31, 1850. The father died May 11, 1874.

The education of the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, was acquired in the public schools of Columbus, and was quite limited, from the fact that he was, at an early period, obliged to labor for his support. At the age of twelve years he engaged at the Fremont house, Columbus, Ohio, where he remained two years. He next attended a term at the Columbus commercial college, where he made book-keeping his especial study, and with what success his present position bears ample testimony. Immediately subsequent to the close of his studies at the college he engaged with F. A. Sells, and from this time until 1862 he was in constant employment. And now occurs a period in his life which the writer delights to chronicle. It is ever pleasant to speak of the brave defenders of our country's honor, during those dark and terrible days of Rebellion.

On September 30, 1862, being then a lad of but seventeen, he donned the blue, and as a private in company B of the Forty-sixth regiment of Ohio volunteer infantry, went forth to die, if need be, for those grand old colors, the stars and stripes, and narrowly did he escape the alternative. At the battle Resaca, Georgia, on May 14, 1864, he was severely wounded in the left hip, from the effects of which he was congined to his bed seven long, weary months. The wound became gangrenous and his life was despaired of, but, thanks to a hardy constitution and the skillful treatment of the attending surgeon (doubtless accidental), he recovered, and was discharged [from] the service at Camp Chase, Ohio, March 31, 1865. He remained at the hospital, as clerk, until August 25th subsequent, when he engaged with P. Hayden & Son, of Columbus, as book-keeper. This position was held continuously until the fall of 1878, when he assumed the ardous and responsible duities of county auditor. It is perhaps needless to state that Mr. Kiesewetter is an efficient and faithful officer. He is a prominent member of the orders of Free and Accepted masons, the I. O. O. F. and the Knights of Pythias.

Mr. Kiesewetter was united in marriage, on November 4, 1869, to Miss Francis [Sic.], daughter of Henry and Catharine Orthafer. Two children have blessed this union--Frank L. and Henry W., the latter of whom is deceased.

[Patrick A. Egan], county coroner, was born in Ireland, Prairie [Kerry?] county on September 14, 1830. He is of a family of thirteen, the children of John and Bridget Egan, who died--the mother on September 24, 1851, and the father on October 24, 1852. The gentleman whose life is briefly sketched in the following lines, acquired his education in his native country. On January 16, 1850, he in company with his two sisters, Mary and Johanna, left his home for America, that land whose flag guarantees protection and equal rights to all, and on the sixteenth day of the following March, he landed in New York, with but two dollars and fifty cents in his pocket, an a stranger in a great city. His prospects were not particularly flattering, but he was not of those who turn back, and soon found work for himself and sisters, in Washington county, New York. The subsequent fall, he secured a situation in a foundry, in Boston, Massachusetts. On May 9, 1852, he arrived in Columbus, Ohio, and soon obtained employment with Huntington Fitch, esq. This he continued until fall, when he secured a situation at the Columbus Asylum for the Insane, and in this he remained until the spring of 1855, when he took his departure for California. He remained in the "land of gold" four years, returning to Columbus on December 28, 1899. The next spring he purchased two carriages, and went into business. This he continued until October 15, 1865, when he engaged in the livery and undertaking business. Mr. Egan is one of those unassuming gentlemen, who, though modest, is energetic and tireless in his devotion to business. Courteous and obliging, he has built up for himself a trade and a reputation which are flattering to his business attainments. His prosperity and success, which are due to his untiring industry, are especially gratifying to his numerous friends, who have associated with him here for the past quarter of a century. He has the largest establishment of its kind in the city, employing twenty-seven horses.

Mr. Egan was elected coroner of Franklin county in the fall of 1869, and has held the office continuously until the present time, than which no better proof of his capability can be adduced.

On October 21, 1861, he was united in marriage to Mary, daughter of Timothy and Nancy A. Ryen [Sic.]. Of the eight children born of this union, seven are now living: Johanna, Mary, Maggie, John, Joseph, Alice, and Kate. Mrs. Egan died on the twenty-first day of October, 1879.