T. FRANK COOLEY, of Plover, Wis., member of the G.A.R. Post 149, was born
Sept. 8, 1823, at Pompey, Onondaga County, New York. His parents, Lewis
and Sophia (Brewer) Cooley, were residents of Massachusetts, and removed
from Long Meadow in that State before 1800 locating at Pompey, where they
were among the first settlers, and where they passed the remainder of their
lives. Their father was about 95 years old at the time of his death, and
his wife, who survived him a few years, was about the same age at the time
of her decease.. Mr. Cooley of this sketch was the youngest of eight
children, and he passed his early days on his father's farm. He was sent
later to the academy at Manlius, an adjoining town, and was graduated. He
secured a position as clerk in a store in that place and, when about 18
years old, accepted a situation in the office of his cousin [believed to be
Aaron Boardman Cooley], a ship owner in Phildelphia, and remained in his
employ as a collecting clerk, and performing clerical duty about two years.
At the request of his brother, who was a contractor of extended business
relations, he returned to the homestead to manage the interests of his
parents, and take care of them in their old age, and when he was about 21
years old, he married Rosetta B. Benedict, who lived in the adjoing town of
Fabius. The next year, Mr. Cooley came to Wisconsin and engaged in the
management of the agricultural interest of his brother-in-law, who had
purchased a tract of land near the present city of Kenosha, and conducted
the relations of the estate three years succeeding the admission of
Wisconsin to the Union. He had a wife and child and started from his
native State, travelling on the Erie Canal to Buffalo, where a took a
steamer and proceeding the length of Lake Erie, traversing Lakes Huron and
Michigan to Kenosha, or, as it was then called, Southport.. He conducted
his agricultural duties in the proper season and taught school winters,
during which time he was elected Superintendent of the schools of Kenosha
county. He followed these alternate employments seven years, when he
became proprietary owner of a tract of land in the same township, and
continued teaching winters. Byt this time he was quite at home, in
consideration of the fact that many of his former neighbors in the East
resumed the same relations by a removal to his vicinity. He sold his
interest there about 1855, and went to New London with his family and
household effects, moving with his ox-teams. The now attractive and
progressive place was a small trading-post on the Wolf River, which was
visited at intervals by a small steamer running from Oshkosh. He built a
number of houses there, and in the following winter engaged in teaching, in
which he was occupied until he enlisted, Jan. 4, 1864, at Appleton, and was
assigned to Company I, 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry, Captain Conkey. (See
sketch.) Soon after his enrollment he was sent by his commanding officer
to Madison, and there opened a recruiting office and continued to operate
as head clerk for Captain Conkey, and was occupied in the work of preparing
muster rolls until he was detailed by the Provost Marshall to assist the
Paymaster, Major Morgan L. Martin, his specific duty being the payment of
the Wisconsin soldiers, who were re-enlisting as veterans. On one occasion
he was sent with another clerk to the bankkk to borrow $10,000 for this
purpose, and it was obtained in State money of all denominations, and Mr.
Cooley and his associate were engaged about three weeks in counting it.
April 19, 1864, the order for all able-bodied men to report to their
respective commands, for duty was promulgated, and Mr. Cooley was sent with
a squad to Fort Leavenworth, where he arrived with his charge and reported
to the officer in command. He was detailed to act in the capacity of chief
clerk in A. G. O. of the Department of Kansas, Major Gen. Curtiss,
commanding. He was in that position when Lincoln was assassinated and,
soon after, received an order from the Secretary of War to report to
Washington for duty. Upon his arrival, he was ordered to report to
Quartermaster General Meigs for duty, and was assigned to service in the
clothing department under that official. He acted as a clerk in the
settlement of accounts, and was so employed until the expiration of his
term of enlistment, when he was mustered out at Madison, and discharged in
October, 1865. He returned to New London, and was variously engaged there
as book-keeper and clerk and operating as contractor for the M. L.S. &
W.R.R. from New London to Clintonville. In September, 1877, he removed to
Plover and engaged in his present business as hotel-keeper, purchasing the
Empire House there. He has conducted a popular and prosperous business in
that line ever since.
Mr. and Mrs. Cooley have five children. Charles F. is a carpenter at
Rhinelander. W. H. Cooley is a prominent conductor on the C. & N. W. R. R.
Emma N. married Charles Vezey, of Plover. Frank L. is a decorator and
lives in Plover. Addie is also residing with her parents. Mr. Cooley is a
prominent and efficient member of the G. A. R. Post at Plover, and is
interested in all matters pertaining to the affairs of the old soldiers.
He has held numerous offices in his town and is at present (1889) a Justice
of the Peace.
UNPUBLISHED NOTE: In 1891 he retired to Appleton and died there in 1901.
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