Gaston, Joseph.  "Portland, Oregon, Its History and Builders."  Vol. 3. Chicago-
Portland: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911. p. 542.
 
JOHN WILLIAM COOK

    Some men are natural organizers and born pioneers in any line of activity
to which they turn their attention. To this class belongs John William Cook
of Portland, one of the large land operators of the Pacific coast, who by many
years of successful experience has demonstrated a rare ability not only in
foreseeing the possibilities of a land investment, but in formulating the plans
that assume tangible shape, giving employment to many persons and establishing
many families in comfortable homes.
     Mr. Cook was born at Meadville, Pennsylvania, a son of Major William H. and
Sarah (Whiting) Cook, who died in California. The father, who was a native of
New Jersey, went to Pennsylvania in early manhood and was there married.
Subsequently he removed with his family to Missouri. During the Civil war he was
a member of a Pennsylvania regiment. His mother lived to the remarkable age of
one hundred and one years and all of her children lived to be over eighty, the
eldest being ninety-six at the time of death.
     John William Cook was reared on a farm in Knox county, Missouri, and gained
his preliminary education in the public schools near Edina, Missouri.  After
laying his school books aside, he began his business career under his brother,
T. P. Cook of Edina, a grain and warehouse man. There he remained for seven
years, during which time the business grew to be one of the largest of its
kind in northeastern Missouri.
     Seeking a change of climate, Mr. Cook came west in 1885 and located in Los
Angeles county, California, where in connection with George D. Whitcomb he
purchased the land and laid out the town of Glendora, being secretary
of Glendora Land Company and also of the Glendora Water Company.  After closing
out that property he engaged in orange growing and developed orange land, and
also engaged in the general real-estate business. In 1891 he was elected a
member of the board of supervisors of Los Angeles county, and in 1893-4 served
as its chairman. While on the board he also had supervision of one thousand, one
hundred miles of road in the county. He was honored by appointment of the
governor of the state as one of a board of three leading fruit growers to manage
the state citrus fruit fair and in 1891 he was placed in charge of a fund of
forty thousand dollars raised by tax and appropriated by the county of Los
Angeles for use at the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893. This fund was
under general control of a committee of twelve, and its wise expenditure
contributed in an important degree toward the dissemination of reliable
information concerning the resources of California.
    Mr. Cook attained an enviable standing in the state, but by over
application to many interests with which he was identified he injured his health
and was obliged to seek a higher altitude, through which his strength was
finally restored. He left California in 1895 and came north, where he
successfully turned his attention to mining and developed the Music mine at
Bohemia Oregon.  In 1900, again attracted to the real-estate field, he came to
Portland and organized a syndicate, which laid out the North Irvington tract and
placed it upon the market under his management. Having accomplished this work,
he organized another syndicate and bought and laid out the Holladay Park tract,
extending from Eighteenth to Twenty-eighth street and from the Oregon Railroad &
Navigation track to Halsey street. This was the first addition to Portland to
have street work, park and building restrictions. Under his management the same
syndicate bought and subdivided ninety acres of land called Rossmere from 
thirty-seventh to Forty-fifth street, and in other operations has displayed a
sagacity that easily places him in the first rank among the real-estate
promoters of the Pacific coast. At the present time he is interested with Lewis
& Wiley of Seattle in laying out and subdividing the St. Helens Heights tract of
one hundred acres. This it is believed will be the finest residence section of
Portland as the location is on high ground and very sightly. The work is of such
magnitude that he estimates it will require at least five years to carry it to
completion and it will be a lasting monument to the energy and ability of the
men who conceived a project of such magnitude. Mr. Cook was also interested in
an irrigation system in Carson, Washington, and is developing four thousand
acres of land there. He was one of the organizers of the firm of Clarke, Cook
Company, which was incorporated November 26, 1909. This company carries on a
general real-estate and trust business and also deals in bonds and makes loans.
    In 1897 Mr. Cook was united in marriage to Miss Christina Hawley a daughter
of William W. and Caroline A. (Wells) Hawley, of Cottage Grove Oregon. Her
father was one of the early settlers of this state and was for some
years connected with the transportation of freight between Umatilla Landing and
Boise, Idaho. He was prominently identified with the early development of this
region and participated in the Indian wars. In early manhood he married Caroline
A. Wells, who was the first white child born in Lane county Oregon on the
present site of Cottage Grove. Her father crossed the plains at an early day and
became a large landowner and a man of prominence in his community.
     By a former marriage Mr. Cook has one daughter, Miss Inez W. Cook, now a
resident of Glendora, California.
     By his ballot Mr. Cook supports the men and measures of the
republican party, and in religious belief he is a Presbyterian. He is a Knignts
Templar Mason and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce; the Oregon Good Roads
Association, in which he has taken as especially active interest; the Portland
Realty Board, and the Commercial Club. He is fond of fishing and hunting and
these sports constitute his chief recreation. He is remarkably well informed on
questions pertaining to real estate and especially in relation to the
possibilities of the city of Portland and its vicinity.  Having years ago become
connected with the business, which is well suited to his taste and which gives
promise of growth for an indefinite period, he is happy in his work and
especially so as it is yielding gratifying results not only to the projectors,
but to the entire community.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2008 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.