Los Angeles County, CA, Biographies

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
JAMES COOK, 
 
proprietor of the Los Angeles Wool Pulling Factory, and manufacturer of tallow 
and neat's-foot oil, is a native of the State of Connecticut, and was born 
November 6, 1836. He grew up and attended school there, and upon reaching 
manhood determined to seek his fortune on the Pacific Coast. He sailed from New 
York, came via the isthmus and reached San Francisco in January, 1857, going 
directly to the mines at Marysville. While there they had, to use a miner's 
expression, a pretty tough experience. They ran short of provisions, and for 
three days three of them lived on the head of a grizzly bear. Mr. Cook returned 
to Marysville and afterward engaged in business and established the Marysville 
Soap Works. He was $50 in debt when he began, but by industry and practical 
ability he built up a prosperous business. During the famous floods in 
Marysville Mr. Cook and his family had a very narrow escape. His house was 
deluged with water. From the first story they were driven to the second, and by 
standing on tables, supported themselves as best they could. The water 
continuing to rise, Mr. Cook cut a large hole in the roof and dragged his family 
through the hole out on the roof in the night and then secured some bedding, 
drenched with water, and lay there until morning. They were finally rescued on a 
raft, and as they floated through the streets they saw other people on the 
house-tops, equally as unfortunate as themselves. After the flood partially 
abated, Mr. Cook was prominent in immediately organizing relief committees, and 
rode day and night with his team for a week, as one of the directors of the 
committee, carrying provisions and blankets for those who were suffering, giving 
the grain from his barn and money from his pocket, and using his credit at the 
stores to assist and relieve his less fortunate neighbors, until all were made 
quite comfortable. That is the kind of a whole-souled, generous man he is. The 
following year his house was burned and his family barely escaped with their 
lives. Mr. Cook was successfully engaged in business and prominently identified 
with the interests of Marysville for almost a quarter of a century. He then went 
to Oakland, built a tannery and carried on the business of wool-pulling and 
tallow-refining for six years, after which he sold his interests and went East. 
After remaining there a time he returned to California and located in Los 
Angeles. He purchased half a block of land
and erected his present large, commodious factory, and is doing a successful and 
constantly increasing business. In this enterprise be is ably assisted by his 
son, who inherits the mechanical genius of his father. Mr. Cook owns a very fine 
ranch of 900 acres in Antelope Valley, besides other property. He owes his 
success in life to his own determined energy, his practical ability to master 
every detail of his business in whatever he undertook, and always made his word 
his bond. He has ever been open handed and generous, and always ready to do more 
than his share in behalf of the suffering and unfortunate, and never caring for 
the popular applause of the world. Mr. Cook was united in marriage February 12, 
1863, to Miss Mary Ann Corder, of California. They have five children: Violet 
Louise, Daisy, Carry A., William J. A., and Mary J.
 
An Illustrated History of Los Angeles County, California �  Chicago, The Lewis 
Publishing Company, 1889   Page 725
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler