The Cook Family of Monona County, Iowa

JAMES COOK, now a prominent and influential citizen of Sherman Township, re-, siding on section 7, was one of the earliest f' pioneers of this county, as already shown in the history of the settlement of the same and the details given below. He is I he oldest living resident representative of that old pioneer family whose name is so interwoven with the annals of Monona County.

Mr. Cook was the son of Aaron W. and Martha (llursher) Cook, and was born in the town of Delaware, Delaware County, Ohio, September 25, 1837. His mother dying when he was quite a small child he was brought up without the influence of a mother's love, although his father was married twice after this. He came with his father's family in 1847 to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and after spending a few months at "Winter Quarters," now Florence, Neb., took up his residence in Pottawattamie County. In the fall of 1851 James came with his father and Mr. Sumner up the Missouri Bottom, in search of the honey' made by the wild bees, and discovering the large amount of rush beds in the county upon which cattle could be fed all winter, and the proximity of the timber to the river bank, the elders decided to return here and make a settlement, bringing what cattle they could get of their neighbors to keep through the winter at twenty'-flve cents a month per head. Returning here the same fall they drove a herd of about one hundred and fifty head, which James herded in the above mentioned beds, and assisted the family in settling themselves in one of the three deserted shanties which they found on section 30. For several years he herded cattle in this manner, and took a large share of the hard work off of his father's shoulders, although he was but a boy at the time. After the decease of his father, which took place January I, 1856, James took charge of the family, and kept them together for about two years. On the breaking out of the Pike's Peak excitement our subject, in company with others, started for the newly discovered mines, but on their road thither changed their minds and went on to California. He remained in the latter State, engaged in mining, some eight years, but in May, 1867, returned to Monona County. Finding that the rest of the family had deserted the old homestead, he took charge of it, and having purchased the rights of the other heirs in it, has brought it to a high state of cultivation. This is situated on sections 7 and 8. Sherman Township, his residence being on the former. Here he has remained ever since.

James Cook was married December 15, 1867, to Miss Sarah Barcus, a native of Ohio, and daughter of John and Phidelia Barcus. Thev have been the parents of the five following children: George M.; Willie, who was drowned in the Missouri River in 1876; Addie May, James E.. Charles L.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

DAVID C. COOK, an enterprising farmer of Sherman Township, has his residence on section 13, 82, 46. He is the son of Aaron W. and Nancy Moore) Cook, the oldest settlers of the county, a sketch of whom is given elsewhere in this volume. David C. was born in Monoiiu County, November 1,1853, and is t-rcdited with being the second child of white parents, wiiose birth tools place within its limits. After the death of his father, whieli occurred January 1, 1856, Mrs. Cook, with her children, remained upon the old homestead in Sherman Township until Blay, IHfil, when she removed to Brown County, Ill., where our subject wa.s reared to manhood and there he received the elements of a common school education. He has always followed farming as a calling and is meeting with excellent success in that line. In the winter of 1875-6, he returned to the place of his Ijirth, and January 1, 1877, was united in marriage with Miss Ida A. Tryon, a native of Oswego County, N. Y., and the daughter of John and Elizabelii (Sweet) Tryon. The young couple commenced housekeeping on a rented farm in Sherman Township, where they remained for some five years. In the spring of 1882, they removed to their present home which Mr. Cook had purchased in January of that year.

Mr. and Mrs. Cook have been the parents of four children, as follows: Elbert I) born August 6. 187!); Elizabeth, May 27, 1881; and twins, a boy and girl, June I, 1884, who died in infancy.

Born in the infancy of this county, Mr. Cook can well contrast its condition in those early days with its present populous and prosperous one, and feel that the initial steps towards its settlement were made by his father and family, something for his descendants to look back to with pride in the years to come.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM COOK, a prominent farmer of 11 Lincoln Township, residing on section 27, ( is a native of Prussia, Germany, and was born in March, 1825. He is the son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Castrup) Cook, and remained in the land of his birth until the spring of 1850, when, following in the footsteps of many of his countrymen, he crossed the wide ocean, and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. After working there one summer, he went to West Virginia, and a year later to St. Louis, Mo., but not finding what he sought he removed to Grant County, Wis., and engaged in farming on leased land. Li the spring of 1865 he came to Monona County and purchased the place where he now lives, building a cabin on section 27, but was forced to remove it to section 8, by the movement in the current of the river, which cut away part of its bank. This being just at the close of the war, prices were very high, and although the house which he built was but twenty'-four feet square, it cost about 600. This latter he used for some years, after which he erected the new cottage in which he now resides. When he settled here the township was almost uninhabited, there only being one neighbor within a radius of five miles of his place.

In March, 1850, in his native land, Mr. Cook was united in marriage with Miss Hannah Ilillman, but immediately after their union, he started for the New World alone, not having money' enough to bring his bride with him. Three years later she crossed the ocean to rejoin her husband. They were the parents of nine children: Hannah, who died in infancy-; Charles, born March 4, 1854; Anna, May 28, 1856; Louisa, May 8, 1858; Carrie, April 11, 1860; Henry, March 25, 18G2; Willie. January 25, 1865; Ida M., November 21,1867; Lewis. October 11, 1870. Mrs. Cook died September 4. 1888.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.