Ira Cook | |
|---|---|
 Ira Cook of Des Moines, Iowa, depicted for his biography in the 1908 book "Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa; And Reminiscences of Early Days" | |
| Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa | |
| In office 1861–1862 | |
Ira Cook (October 6, 1821 - March 11, 1902) was an American surveyor, mayor, banker, tax collector, city council member, investor and entrepreneur from Des Moines, Iowa.
Cook was born October 6, 1821, in the Town of Union, Broome County, New York. [1] His father, one sister and her husband moved to Iowa in 1835 and settled on land in what is now Davenport. [1] Ira and the remainder of his family moved to Iowa in the spring of 1836. [2] He lived in Tipton, Iowa, from 1838 to 1941, working on the family farm and having the chance to meet then Iowa Territorial Governor Robert Lucas.
In 1849, he teamed with John Evans on a contract which began his four-plus year career as a government surveyor. After leaving his surveying career and Davenport, Cook moved to Des Moines in 1855 and entered the banking business with the firm of Cook, Sargent & Cook. [3] [4]
He married Mary C. Owens on April 25, 1854. [5] He and his wife were given a three-year-old girl to care for by the child's father in 1857. Fearful that they might lose the child due to provisions in her father's will, Cook consulted with John A. Kasson, then practicing law in Des Moines. Together they drafted a bill concerning the adoption of children in Iowa. When the bill passed, the Cooks promptly adopted the little girl, raising her as their own. Mary gave birth to a daughter of their own on June 5, 1859, Rachel Faxton Cook [6] and their second child was Carrie L. Cook. [5]
He was elected mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, in 1861 and resigned not long after. [7] Beginning in 1860 he engaged in insurance and real estate with C. C. Dawson. [4] He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1862 and assumed a position in the Post Office Department. [7] He took a position as a Deputy United States Revenue Collector in 1864. [7] In 1866, he moved back to Des Moines and was elected to two terms on the city council.
In 1875, he became a stockholder in the Iowa Loan and Trust Company, one of the most important financial institutions in the State of Iowa at the time. [5] In 1880, he was elected one of Iowa Loan and Trust Companies trustees. [7] In 1896, he partnered with G. M. Hippee and others to form the Des Moines Syrup Refining Company, which operated to make syrup, sugar, and glucose from corn. [8]
Cook wrote a number of articles that were published in different newspapers in the state. [5] He wrote "Government Surveying in Early Iowa", published in the January 1897, issue of The Annals of Iowa. [1]
He died March 11, 1902 [9] and was buried in Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines. [8] Visitors to the State Historical Museum in Des Moines will find Ira Cook featured in the “You Gotta Know the Territory” exhibit.
Mary C. Owens Cook was born November 6, 1831, and died March 7, 1918. She was interred beside Ira at Woodland Cemetery. [10]
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in Iowa, United States. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is located on, and named after, the Des Moines River, which likely was adapted from the early French name, Rivière des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks". The city's population was 214,133 as of the 2020 census. The six-county metropolitan area is ranked 83rd in terms of population in the United States, with 699,292 residents according to the 2019 estimate by the United States Census Bureau, and is the largest metropolitan area fully located within the state.
The Archdiocese of Dubuque is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States.
Albert Baird Cummins was an American lawyer and politician. He was the 18th governor of Iowa, elected to three consecutive terms and U.S. senator for Iowa, serving for 18 years. Cummins was a leader of the Progressive movement in Washington and Iowa. He fought to break up monopolies. Cummins' successes included establishing the direct primary to allow voters to select candidates instead of bosses; outlawing free railroad passes for politicians; imposing a two-cent street railway maximum fare; and abolishing corporate campaign contributions. He tried, with less success, to lower the high protective tariff in Washington.
The Western League was the name of several American sports leagues in Minor League Baseball. This article concentrates on the Western Leagues that operated from 1900 to 1937 and from 1947 to 1958.
John Hopwood Mickey was an American banker and Republican politician who served as the 13th Governor of Nebraska from 1903 to 1907.
The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is located at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River. Des Moines serves as the capital of the U.S. state of Iowa The metro area consists of six counties in central Iowa: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, Guthrie, and Jasper. The Des Moines–Ames–West Des Moines Combined Statistical Area (CSA) encompasses the separate metropolitan area of Ames, and the separate micropolitan areas of Pella, Boone and Oskaloosa. The Des Moines area is a fast-growing metro area.
George Cram Cook or Jig Cook was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, novelist, poet, and university professor. Believing it was his personal mission to inspire others, Cook led the founding of the Provincetown Players on Cape Cod in 1915; their "creative collective" was considered the first modern American theatre company. During his seven-year tenure with the group, Cook oversaw the production of nearly one-hundred new plays by fifty American playwrights. He is particularly remembered for producing the first plays of Eugene O'Neill, along with those of Cook's wife Susan Glaspell, and several other noted writers.
James Joseph Davis was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in Iowa from 1906 to until his death in 1926.
James J. Egan, FAIA, was an Irish-American architect and fellow of the American Institute of Architects practicing in Chicago, Illinois. He was a partner of the Chicago architectural firms Armstrong & Egan, Egan & Kirkland and Egan & Prindeville, which gained prominence designing Roman Catholic structures.
St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The church building is located on the corner of 4th and Court Streets in downtown Ottumwa, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Central Park area, which is the civic center of the community. It includes: the Wapello County Courthouse, the Ottumwa Public Library, and the Ottumwa City Hall. The church is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, but it has not been listed.
Clarissa Cook Home for the Friendless is an historic building located in the west end of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Proudfoot & Bird was an American architectural firm that designed many buildings throughout the Midwest region of the United States. Originally established in 1882, it remains active through its several successors, and since 2017 has been known as BBS Architects | Engineers.
N. M. Stark and Company, of Des Moines, Iowa, was a firm active in building bridges in Iowa.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
Voltaire Paine Twombly was a Union veteran of the American Civil War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Fort Donelson on February 15, 1862, when he picked up and carried his regiment's national colors after three other members of his regiment were killed or incapacitated by Confederate fire while attempting to secure the flag. Twombly also participated in a number of other engagements in the Civil War, including the Siege of Corinth and Sherman's March to the Sea.
Chester Cicero Cole was a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court from March 1, 1864 to January 19, 1876 appointed from Polk County, Iowa. He became chief justice in 1869. Cole was a founder of both Iowa law schools.
Josiah Given was a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court from March 12, 1889 to December 31, 1901, appointed from Polk County, Iowa. He also served as colonel of the 74th Ohio Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War, receiving a brevet to brigadier general.
Mary Jane (Whitely) Coggeshall was an American suffragist known as the "mother of woman suffrage in Iowa". She was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1990.
Woodland Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa, having been established in 1848, before Des Moines was the state capital. It is a municipal cemetery owned and operated by the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department. It covers 69 acres (28 ha) at the corner of 20th Street and Woodland Ave and is the site of over 80,000 graves.
