George Edward Cole

George Edward Cole
6th Governor of Washington Territory
In office January 8, 1867 – March 4, 1867
Appointed by	Andrew Johnson
Preceded by	William Pickering
Succeeded by	Marshall F. Moore
Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington Territory's at-large district
In office March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865
Preceded by	William H. Wallace
Succeeded by	Arthur A. Denny
Personal details
Born	December 23, 1826 Trenton, New York
Died	December 3, 1906 (aged 79) Portland, Oregon
Political party	Democrat Republican from the 1870s.

George Edward Cole (December 23, 1826 – December 3, 1906) was an American politician. He is remembered as the 6th Governor and 5th Delegate from the Territory of Washington.

George Edward Cole was born December 23, 1826, in Trenton, Oneida County, New York. Cole attended the public schools and Hobart Hall Institute. He was employed as clerk in a country store.

After living in the Midwestern state of Illinois, Cole departed for California during the gold rush year of 1849. From there he moved to the Pacific Northwest, arriving in the Oregon Territory in 1850.

Cole soon became involved in the politics of the Oregon Territory, serving as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives in the Oregon Territorial Legislature during the biannual session running from 1852 to 1853. During that session he became an early supporter of the idea of splitting the territory — which then included the whole of today's states of Washington, Idaho, and the western portion of Montana — helping to draft a memorial to Congress calling for the establishment of the Washington Territory.

In Oregon Cole engaged in mercantile pursuits and steamboat transportation on the Willamette River. He served as clerk of the United States District Court of Oregon in 1859 and 1860.

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