Founded in 1854 in Coweta County, Georgia, the R.D. Cole Manufacturing Company quickly became one of the most influential 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. In 1968, the R.D. Cole Manufacturing Company sold; however, the impact of the company is still present. It is said by locals that the company had a hand in almost every part of Newnan's development. 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 one of the most profitable companies in the South.