Biography of G W Cook, Clay Co, AR

***********************************************************
Submitted by:
        Date:
Copyright. All rights reserved
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
***********************************************************

From: 
The Goodspeed Biographical and Historical Memoirs of N. E. Ark.
Biographical Information.

G. W. Cook is a successful agriculturist and stockman of Oak Bluff Township,
Clay County, Ark., and was born in Weakley County, West Tenn., in 1840, being
the youngest in a family of seven children born to Richard A. and Ann (David)
Cook, both of whom were born in Old Virginia. At an early day they moved to West
Tennessee, where the father opened up a farm and there died in 1860, at the age
of fifty-eight years. His widow came to Greene County, Ark., in August, 1874,
and here died in October of the same year at the age of seventy-six years. G. W.
Cook grew to manhood in his native State, and received his education in Weakley
County, being also married there, in 1864, to Miss M. M. Jenkins, a daughter of
C. P. and Mary G. (Boothe) Jenkins, who were born in North Carolina, and were
early immigrants of Tennessee, where they became wealthy farmers and spent their
declining years, the father dying in 1889 and the mother in 1872. After his
marriage Mr. Cook settled on the old homestead, and there made his home until
1873, when he came to Greene County, Ark., and purchased a timber tract of
eighty acres, which he cleared and sold in 1888. In 1874 he moved to Clay
County, and five years later purchased the farm on which he is at present
residing, which consisted of 120 acres, with thirty acres under the plow. He has
increased his lands until he now has 960 acres, 200 of which are under
cultivation, in the home farm, and 320 acres, with thirty-two under cultivation,
in Blue Cane Township, Greene County. He is interested in stock raising, and
makes a specialty of Berkshire and Poland China hogs. His principal crop is
corn. He has never been very active in politics, but usually votes the
Democratic ticket. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. lodge at Rector, and is
interested in all worthy public enterprises. He is in every respect a self-made
man, and all his property has been acquired by his own exertions. He and wife
are the parents of the following children: Ella, now Mrs. Bolton; Daniel Elvis,
Joseph, Oda and Edar living, and six children deceased. In 1861 Mr. Cook
enlisted in Weakley County in Company C, Fifty-second Tennessee Infantry, and
was mustered into service at Henderson Station, afterward participating in the
battle of Shiloh. At the end of six months he returned home.