ASHTABULA COUNTY OHIO - BIO: COOK, Joseph R. (published 1925)

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HISTORY OF OHIO, The American Historical Society, Inc., 1925
Volume IV, page 379,380

        JOSEPH R. COOK is one of the representative younger members of the
bar of Ashtabula county, and is established in successful general practice
in his native city of Ashtabula, the largest city of the county, his birth
having here occurred on the 29th of July, 1891.
        Mr. Cook is a son of Mack R. and Nettie (Davis) Cook, who still
reside in Ashtabula, where the father is established in the mercantile
business and is concerned also with real estate enterprise. Mack R. Cook
was born in this county, on the 1st of April 1863, and that the family name
has been associated with the history of this section of the old Buckeye
State from early years becomes evident when it is noted that in this county
his father, Joseph R. Cook, was born in the year 1816. Joseph R. Cook
passed his entire life in Ashtabula, where his death occurred in 1875. He
was graduated from the Albany Law School, in the capital city of the State
of New York, and became one of the distinguished members of the Ohio bar.
He was engaged in the practice of law in his native county during the
entire period of his professional career, and it is pleasing to note that
his grandson and namesake, the subject of this review, is likewise winning
prestige in the legal profession and staging his activities in the same
fine little Ohio city as did the honored grandsire. Joseph R. Cook married
Lucy Bartram, who was born in the State of New York, and who survived her
husband several years. Mr. Cook was a son of Erastus Cook, who was born at
Onondage, New York, and who was numbered among the very early settlers of
Ashtabula County, where he established his residence about the year 1805.
Erastus Cook was a man of fine intellectuality. He had been educated for
the ministry, but found it expedient to follow constructive activities
rather than to engage in the work of the profession for which he had thus
fitted himself, he having, however, always continued earnest and zealous in
church service. He reclaimed and developed a large farm estate in Ashtabula
County, and also owned and conducted a tavern or inn at East Village, which
was then the leading town of the county and which is now a part of the City
of Ashtabula. This old time tavern was one of the popular pioneer
hostelries of this section of Ohio. Philip Cook, father of Erastus, was
born in Connecticut, became a successful dairy farmer in the State of New
York and conducted a textile industry. He was there a man of large
financial resources, as gauged by the standards of the locality and period.
The lineage of the Cook family traces back to Scotch and English sources,
and the first representatives in America settled in Connecticut in the
Colonial days.
        Mack R. Cook was reared and educated in Ashtabula County, and here
became a successful exponent of farm industry. In 1913 he engaged in the
mercantile business at Ashtabula, and this enterprise he still continues,
besides being engaged also in the real estate business. He is aligned in
the ranks of the democratic party, and he and his wife hold membership in
the First Congregational Church of Ashtabula, Mrs. Cook likewise having
been reared and educated in this county, where her birth occurred July 21,
1867. Of the children Joseph R., of this review, is the firstborn. Perry D
was graduated from the Palmer School of Chiropractic, Davenport, Iowa, and
prior to this had attended Western Reserve University at Cleveland, one
year, and for a similar period was a student in Allegheny University,
Meadville, Pennsylvania, in which city he is now engaged in the practice of
his profession, as a skilled chiropractic practitioner. In the World war
period he served as rivet inspector in the shipyards of the Great Lakes
Engineering Company at Ashtabula, where a large amount of important
Government work was turned out. Mack D., who was principal of the public
schools at West Carrolton, Ohio, was in the army transport service in the
World war period. He is a graduate of Allegheny College, Meadville,
Pennsylvania, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Harry
C., youngest of the sons, attended Western Reserve University one year and
at the time of this writing, in the autumn of 1924, he is still a member of
the parental home circle.
        In the public schools of Ashtabula, Joseph R. Cook continued his
studies until his graduation from the high school as a member of the class
of 1910. While in high school he utilized his summer vacations by finding
employment on the docks at Ashtabula, and after completing his high school
course he showed his initiative and executive ability by devoting one year
to the building and selling of houses at Ashtabula. In the advancing of his
education he thereafter attended Western Reserve University until he
received therefrom the degree of Bachelor of Arts, upon his graduation with
the class of 1915. At the university he became affiliated with the Phi
Gamma Delta fraternity. By his activities in connection with contracting
and building operations and the selling of the houses thus erected, Mr.
Cook defrayed the expenses of his university course. Not only this, but
fuller rewards came from his incidental activities in connection with the
building business, as is evident when it is stated that when he entered the
university his cash capital was seventy dollars, and after paying his
college expenses, in both the academic and law departments, he emerged from
fine old Western Reserve University with available capital of $3,000. He
was graduated from the law department of Western Reserve University in
1917, and his reception of the degree of Bachelor of Laws was virtually
coincident with his admission to the Ohio bar, in April, 1917. In this
connection it may be recorded also that in March, 1923, he was admitted to
practice in the Federal Courts of the Cleveland district.
        On the 1st of July, 1917, Mr. Cook opened an office in Ashtabula
and engaged in the general practice of law. He has made his record an
excellent one in his connection with both civil and criminal law, and has
built up a substantial practice. His law business was subordinated to
patriotism, however, when the nation became involved in the World war. July
20, 1918, marked his enlistment for service in the army transport service,
and he was sent to Boston, Massachusetts, and assigned to duty in the
United States Merchant Marine as applied to war transport service. He
voyaged to France with troops and supplies, and after the return voyage he
made a second trip overseas, on this occasion Genoa, Italy, having been the
destination. He continued in service until March 17, 1919, when he received
his honorable discharge, and he then resumed the practice of his profession.
        Mr. Cook maintains his law offices at 160 1/2 Main Street,
Ashtabula. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party, and
he has given two years of service as clerk of elections, besides which he
has held since 1919 the office of justice of the peace. He is now serving
his second term as justice of the peace and is a candidate for county
prosecutor of Ashtabula County, subject to the primaries of August 12,
1924. He and his wife are active members of the First Congregational Church
in their home city. He is affiliated with Harbor Lodge No. 558, Free and
Accepted Masons, and Crescent Commandery No. 543, Knights of Malta, at
Ashtabula. He is a member of the Ashtabula City Bar Association and the
Ashtabula County Bar Association, besides being affiliated with the Phi
Delta Phi law school fraternity. He is a stockholder in and attorney for
the Marine National Bank of Ashtabula and also the Harbor Investment
Association of this city. On the shore of Lake Erie, at 19 Walnut Street,
Ashtabula, Mr. Cook owns and occupies one of the attractive homes of the
city, and he is the owner of other local realty, as well as real estate in
the southern part of Ohio.
        June 10, 1917, recorded the marriage of Mr. Cook and Miss Clara M.
Salchli, daughter of Frederick Salchli, who is a resident of Erie,
Pennsylvania, he being a skilled machinist. Mr. and Mrs. Cook have two
children: Ruth C., born February 15, 1920, and Marjorie M., born  October
28, 1922.


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