Tehama County CA Archives Biographies.....Hook, Marcus R. 1837 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 6, 2007, 12:01 pm Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891) MARCUS R. HOOK.-Among the representative business men of Red Bluff, California, we find the name that heads this sketch. An outline of his life is as follows: Mr. Hook was born in Maryland, eight miles from the city of Baltimore, November 25, 1842, and was reared in that city. He is a son of Marcus R. Hook. His grandfather's name was also Marcus R. Both were natives of Maryland. The Hooks trace their ancestry for several generations and find the family had its origin in Scotland. Mr. Hook's father was a prominent Democrat, a politician, and a member of the Legislature of Maryland. His mother, nee Elizabeth Ann Bruff, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and her ancestors were also natives of that State. Of the family of five children only Mr. Hook and a sister survive. Our subject received his education in Washington city. At the age of eighteen years he entered the Railway Postal Service, occupying that position ten years. He was clerk in the office of Vital Statistics for two years, under Dr. Bliss, of President Garfield notoriety. In 1876, in answer to a telegram from his friend, General Chipman, Mr. Hook came to Red Bluff, California, to take a position with the Sierra Lumber Company. After being with them four years he opened his own real-estate and insurance business, which he still continues. He is the owner of 140 acres of land, just west of the city, on which he has built a beautiful residence. On this property he has planted ten acres of almonds, several acres in a home vineyard, and a large variety of fruit trees. Sixty acres of the property he has subdivided into ten-acre tracts. Mr. Hook was married March 17, 1866, to Miss Anna M. Lay, a native of Washington, and a daughter of Richard Lay, who was born in Connecticut and is a descendant of an old Connecticut family. Mr. Lay was for many years a resident of Washington, where he held a Government office. Mrs. Hook's grandfather, Richard Lay, Sr., on the paternal side, was a descendant of the Wollcott family, who traced their ancestry back to the Oliver Wollcott, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Her mother, nee Ann Mattingly, was a native of Maryland and came from an old family of that State. Both her paternal and maternal ancestors participated in the Revolution. They were also Unionists, and two of Mrs. Hook's brothers were captains in the United States army and did service in the civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Hook have been blessed with five children, all born in Washington except the youngest, who is a native of Red Bluff. Their names are as follows: Charles K., Ruth C, M. Madaline, Addie T. and Marcus R., who takes the family name. Mrs. Hook and the children are devout members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Hook is in politics an ardent Republican, and has been such since he became a voter. For the last six years he has been a member of the Board of Supervisors, and has two years more to serve before his term of office expires. He was the only Republican on the county ticket that was elected. Since he became a resident of Red Bluff Mr. Hook has thoroughly identified himself with the best interests of the city, and county as well. He is a life member of the Agricultural Society of the county and is secretary of the same. Additional Comments: Extracted from Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California. Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of Prominent Citizens of To-day. "A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendents." – Macauley. CHICAGO THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1891. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/tehama/bios/hook688gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb