"Portrait & Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley Oregon." Chapman Publishing Company, 1903. p. 692. COL. JACOB C. COOPER The career of Col. Jacob C. Cooper is typical of all that is resourceful, substantial, intellectual and progressive in northwestern citizenship. Mr. Cooper arrived in Oregon afoot in 1866, and following upon this indication of depleted finances has engaged successively in freighting, school teaching, merchandising, grain dealing, building and contracting, and surveying, in the meantime rising from almost complete obscurity to his present position as one of the most influential men in the state. To his credit is a splendid war record, and his immediate responsibilities include those in connection with his position as a member of the board of directors of the Lewis and Clark Centennial, the American Pacific Exposition, and the Oriental Fair of 1905. He is a member of the Oregon Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, and is an author and writer of more than local reputation, having written several stories, among them the "Yamhills," and he has contributed voluminously to such leading periodicals as tile Oregonian, the New York Journal and the San Francisco Examiner. A descendant of the German family of Keifer, whose early representatives in America translated the name to suit their adopted environment, Colonel Cooper was born in Lawrence county, Mo., January 16, 1845. His paternal great-grandfather was born in Pennsylvania, near the town of York, and from that state enlisted at four different times in the Revolutionary war. The first enlistment was under Captain Larch, and after removing to the state of North Carolina, he served with Marion's men, and participated in the battles of Cowpens, Eutaw Springs, and the siege of 1796, in time witnessing the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. When the Boones went to Kentucky the great-grandfather was one of their party, and he died in Wayne county, that state, at an advanced age. His son, Henry the paternal grandfather, was born, reared, engaged in farming, and eventually died in Wayne county, Ky., where also was born Elbert Emerson Cooper, the father of Jacob C. Elbert Emerson was the oldest of the children born to his parents, and the only one to settle in Missouri. In Lawrence county he took up a farm in the wilderness, improved it, and thereon reared seven sons and five daughters. He was a minister in the old school Baptist Church, and though he labored long and faithfully for the uplifting of humanity, received absolutely no compensation for his services. Owing to the prevalence of the Rebel army in his district life became almost unbearable, and he therefore gathered together his family and possessions and crossed the plains in 1863, settling on a claim near Salem, where he died in 1880, at the age of sixty-eight years. His wife, formerly Nancy Wann, who was born in Kentucky and died at Independence, Ore., at the age of seventy-six, was the daughter of William Wann, a native of the south, and an early settler in Missouri. During his former residence in Tennessee Mr. Wann was a member of the legislature with Andrew Johnson, whose intimate friend he was, and in Missouri he was county judge, as was also his son, Daniel, the latter of whom served in the Mexican war. Of the seven sons and five daughters born to Elbert Emerson Cooper and his wife, William H. was regiment saddler and a member of Company E., Ninth Kansas Cavalry during the Civil war, came to Oregon in 1868, and is now living at Stayton, Ore.; Daniel J. was an officer in the Missouri State Militia, came to Oregon in 1861, and is now engaged in farming near The Dalles; Elizabeth is the deceased wife of Mr. Mann of Polk county, Ore.; James S. is president of the First National Bank at Independence; Lydia died in infancy ; Jacob C.; Sarah J. is now Mrs. Gildow, of Silverton, Ore.; Riley D. is a hop grower and lives at Independence, his twin sister having died in infancy; John E. and Elbert W. are twins, the former living at Ashland, Ore., and the latter at Independence, Ore.; and Patience lives in Independence. After the war broke up the activity of the little log school house near the Cooper home in Lawrence county, Mo., there was additional inducement for the youth of that district to shoulder arms in defense of the union. At the age of seventeen, April 3, 1862, Jacob C. Cooper enlisted in the Fourteenth Missouri State Militia, and during his year of service participated in the battles of Springfield, Neosho, Prairie Grove and several others, and February 22, 1863, his regiment was consolidated with the Fourth Missouri Militia, and Companies L and G, Volunteer Cavalry, and mustered into the United States service. The new regiment took part in the battle of Mine Creek, or Big Blue, as the bodyguard for General Pleasanton, and was afterward engaged in the battles of Jefferson City and many guerrilla fights. After driving General Price out of the state they were stationed at Jefferson and Marshall, Mo., until the close of the war, and were mustered out at Warrensburg, Mo., April 3, 1865. While with the Fourteenth Mr. Cooper was delegated to carry an important dispatch from near Neosho to Fort Scott, Kan., and to return to Mount Vernon with reply, and while carrying out this order disguised as a country youth without arms, he was captured and detained. The same night he managed to jump the pickets, and two days later succeeded in rejoining his regiment. After the war Mr. Cooper lived for a time in Fort Scott, and then spent the winter in Lawrence county, Mo. Many thrilling experiences during the war had not dimmed his ardor for adventure or change, and he welcomed the opportunity to cross the plains in 1866 as the driver of a six-mule team for Hugh Kirkendall, the noted freighter. There was plenty of excitement aboard during this trip, for the Indians gave them a great deal of unsolicited attention, even to the point of exterminating a number of the party. Arriving at Helena, Mont., Mr. Cooper walked the five hundred miles between that town and Walla Walla, Wash., and then drove a six-horse team for three days to get money enough to pay his boat fare to Portland. He arrived at Salem October 17, 1866, having left Leavenworth May 25, 1866. In the meantime his family had settled in Spring Valley, and after visiting them he engaged in school teaching during the first winter, and then engaged in the merchandise business at Lincoln. At Zena and Perrydale he built stores which he ran with fair success, and at the same time became rather heavily interested in buying and selling grain. For a time he was secretary of a steamboat company, and afterward was for fourteen years identified with contracting, building, and architecture in McMinnville. After taking up surveying Mr. Cooper became identified with the United States survey in 1881, and while thus employed established government lines of importance. In time he was elected surveyor of Yamhill county, from which position he resigned to assume the postmastership of McMinnville, to which he was appointed by President Harrison in 1889. A change of administration affecting this office in 1894, he turned his attention to his former occupation of surveying, which he has since combined with literary work. Until 1896 Mr. Cooper was a stanch advocate of Republicanism as a whole, but, favoring silver, has since ranged himself on the side of this issue. He was chairman of the Oregon delegation at the National Convention in St. Louis in 1896, and also chairman of the committee on order of business. In 1901 he was the author of a bill creating a commission of seven to go to Washington and make an appeal before congress, the senate, and president, for pensions for Indian war veterans. He himself was appointed a member of this commission by Governor Geer in 1901, and it is universally conceded that the successful outcome of this mission was largely due to the strenuous and altogether satisfactory work of the commission from Oregon. An ardent admirer of the much beloved William McKinley, it was eminently fitting that an orator like Colonel Cooper should deliver the memorial address at McMinnville on September 19, 1901. In Amity, Ore., Mr. Cooper became identified with the Masons, and is now a member of the Union Lodge, No. 43, of which he is past master; Taylor Chapter, R. A. M., of McMinnville, of which he is past high priest and Hodson Council, No. 1. He is a member and past commander of Custer Post, No. 9, G. A. R., and was commander of the Department of Oregon during 1893-4, with the rank of major-general. From 1883 until 1886 he was assistant adjutant-general of the Oregon State Militia under Governor Moody, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and in 1891 was a delegate to the National Encampment which was held at Detroit, Mich. In 1898 Colonel Cooper organized and drilled a Manila Guard, consisting of forty girls of McMinnville, a venture which proved highly satisfactory, for the girls proved splendid soldiers, and were so well drilled that they drew ecomiums of praise at Astoria, Portland and many to welcome the handsomely uniformed and martial appearing Manila Guard. For several years Colonel Cooper was president of the Board of Trade, and during this time, as well as during the greater part of his life here, he has been an important factor in stimulating an interest in the town and county, drawing particular attention to its multiplicity of resources, and its advantages as a home building center. Much of the success of the local affairs of McMinnville are traceable to his enthusiastic support, and his recognition of their desirability has made of the state encampment a joyful meeting place for war scarred veterans. In 1868 Colonel Cooper made a trip back to Missouri via Panama, and while in his native state married Melzena P. Spillman, who was born in Lawrence county, Mo., November 29, 1850, daughter of Judge Nathan C. Spillman, and a sister of Prof. William J. Spillman, government agriculturist of Washington, D. C. Of the children born of this union seven are living, the order of their birth being as follows : Nora J. is the wife of R. W. Doane, in charge of the experimental station at Keyport, Wash.; Dr. Arthur Spillman, a graduate of the Philadelphia Dental College, and now a practitioner on Broadway, N. Y.; Ina P., the wife of E. L. Darr, of Los Angeles, Cal.; Wells C., living in Chicago, Ill., and a member of Company A, Second Oregon Volunteer Infantry during the Philippine campaign: Nellie, captain of the Manila Guards, a stenographer and at present private secretary to the president of the State Normal School in Washington ; Paul B., a soldier in Company A, Second Oregon Volunteer infantry, a graduate of Pullman College, a pharmacist at Olympia, Wash.; and Frederick Goss, an artist and cartoonist in San Francisco. Lewis J., the oldest son in the family, died from injury at the age of seventeen. Mrs. Cooper is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and is prominent in the Woman's Relief Corps, of which she is ex-president. She is socially well known, and has many friends among the most exclusive people in the state, and past matron of the Chapter of the Eastern Star. In October, 1902, Colonel Cooper was appointed a member of the Board of Directors of the Lewis and Clark Centennial, a position for which his vast experience in various departments of western activity has eminently fitted him, and in 1903 was appointed chairman of the special committee having entire charge of woman's work and woman's participation in the exposition, through whose efforts the Lewis and Clark Woman's Clubs are now being so extensively organized throughout the state, and will prove an important factor to the exposition. Colonel Cooper is also performing important work on the committees of Legislation and Agriculture. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in May 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.