"Founded in 1854 in Coweta County, Georgia, the R.D. Cole Manufacturing Company quickly became one of the most influentional businesses of its time. R.D. Cole started the company in a little woodshop to make sashes and doors. The company expanded and became an instrumental player in the manufacturing sector, building sawmills, cornmills and engines as well as constructing several high-profile buildings and homes. By the 1890s, the organization was the second-largest water tower manufacturer in the country... The. R.D. Cole Manufacturing Company represents a ’rags-to-riches’ story of a company that started as a small, personal endeavor and eventually became of the the most profitable companies in the South."--Back cover.