Cabarrus County, NC - James P. Cook

Born in Mt Pleasant, NC, in 1863, son of Matthew Cook (Koch) and 
Mary Costner. 

He was educated at North Carolina College in Mt Pleasant, graduating 
in 1885. The day after his graduation he went to work teaching school 
in the southern part of Cabarrus County.

In 1886, he was elected Superintendant of schools in Cabarrus County, 
which posistion he held until 1893.  Then he was elected chairman of 
the County Board of Education, and remained in office until 1912, when 
he was elected a member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing 
Cabarrus and Mecklenburg Counties.

For a number of years he was secretary and treasurer of the North 
Carolina State railroad.  In 1887 he moved to Concord and in 1880 he 
establihed a daily newspaper, the Daily Standard, and was editor and 
publisher until 1896. He was then the Southern representative of the 
University Publishing Co in NC, SC, Ga, and Lousiana. About this time 
he began to fight for a school to take care of underprivilidged boys 
who got into trouble with the courts. He continued to fight and work, 
for the state to take care of these boys, but it was not until 1907 
that the state made the first move in this direction.

On June 12, 1909 two cottages of the Jackson Training School were 
completed and the first pupil was received. The capacity of the school 
was limited to 90 students, but in 1917 another was erected which would 
take care of 120 boys.  From time to time since 1917 other cottages have 
been erected  until now the capacity of the school is 500 or more boys.  

From the time of the organization of the school, until his death, Mr 
Cook was chairman of the Board and gave his time and service to this 
school. In December 1925, he organized and became President of the Cold 
Water Light and Power Co.

J P Cook married Margaret Jeanette Norfleet daughter of Nathaniel G & 
Mary E Darden Norfleet.  He was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Concord, 
and a well-known authority  on Cabarrus County history.  He belonged to 
the St James Evangelical Church of Concord.  

______________________________________________________________________

Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Cabarrus County GenWeb
______________________________________________________________________