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Thomas Cook
Biography |
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Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County, Illinois:
containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent
and representative citizens of the county: together with portraits and
biographies of all the presidents of the United States, and governors
of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890; page 310-313;
Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Thomas Cook has lived in Fulton County since 1858
and during that time has acquired a solid reputation as a
straightforward, honorable man, and as a thrifty, hard working, capable
farmer. Since 1874 he has been a factor in the agricultural life in
this section of the country, and has managed his well-equipped farm on
sections 20 and 22, with skill and profit since it came into his
possession at that time.
He is a native of Kilmena Parish, County Mayo,
Ireland, where he was born in 1823. His parents were also natives of
that place and he resided with them until 1849. In that year he married
Bridget, daughter of Hubert and Nancy (Moran) Golden, who was born in
the same year and the same place as himself.
Our subject soon left his young bride in their
native village, that he might cross the waters and make a more
comfortable home for her in America. After landing on these shores he
made his way to Pittsburg, Pa., whence he went a short time afterwards
to St. Louis, Mo., where he remained about five years engaged in
steamboating. When he had been there two years and was comfortably
fixed his wife joined him, and in 1858,they came to this county and
located in Lewistown, which was then a very small place. While there
Mr. Cook engaged in various kinds of business and finally bought, in
the year 1874, one hundred and four acres of land on sections 20 and
22, Bernadotte Township, where he now resides. He has seventy-five
acres of his land under fine cultivation, has a good house, barn and
other necessary buildings that go to make up a good and well-improved
farm. He has a self-binder, a mower, and all other modern machinery
that is in use on a first-class farm. His farm is well-stocked with
cattle, horses and hogs of standard grades.
Mr. and Mrs. Cook have had six children born to them
of whom three died young and three are living - Thomas, Mary and
Bridget. Mr. Cook has worked hard in the accumulation of his property
and has received valuable aid from his wife who is a cheerful, capable
and willing helpmate. He is of a peaceable, kind and obliging
disposition and has never had a law suit in his life or was he ever on
a jury. He has always attended strictly to his own affairs, letting
other people's business alone and always gets along well with his
neighbors. He begrudges happiness to no one, is no man's enemy and has
no enemies of his own, but on the contrary has many friends. In
politics he is a Democrat; in religion a Catholic.
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