Celia Sampson Cole married Seth Cole on September 15, 1780 in Chesterfield, Mass. After Seth Cole's death in 1810, she became known locally as the Widow Cole and continued living in their cabin near the mouth of Canadaway Creek on Lake Erie. In July 1812, she saw a British ship near her home send soldiers toward the shore in a rowboat while they chased a salt boat that had sailed to the mouth of Canadaway Creek for safety. She mounted her horse and rode toward Fredonia, rallying militiamen along the way to defend the shore. By the end of the Ride of the Widow Cole, she had gathered about 40 men at the mouth of the creek, where they turned back the British troops.