An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA., 1905, pages 408-409

OSMER W. COOK, who resides on Three-mile creek seven miles south from The
Dalles, was born in Iowa, on October 30, 1847. His parents were Seeley M. and
Nancy (Rice) Cook, natives of New York. The father's father was born in
Connecticut and his mother in Maine. He now lives in Jefferson, Oregon. His
father, the grandfather of our subject, was a patriot of the war of 1812. Osmer
W. was raised principally in the Willamette valley whither he came with his
parents in 1852, crossing the plains with ox teams. The father selected a
donation claim there and this son remained with him until twenty-five years of
age when he crossed the mountains to Wasco county. Two years later, he filed on
the place where he now resides and since that time, has resided here. He has
shown industry and substantiality during his life and now has a very fine
property. It consists of a half section of land in the home place and eighty
acres more a mile and a half distant. The farms are well improved and productive
and Mr. Cook is one of the leading agriculturists in the county.      

At the residence of the bride's parents, on October 12, 1873. Mr. Cook married
Mary Gilliam, Who was born in Polk county, on January 9, 1854. Her father, M.
Porter Gilliam, was born in Missouri, Andrew county and came to the Willamette
valley with ox teams across the plains in 1844. He took a donation claim in Polk
county and his death occurred in Klickitat county, Washington, in March, 1888.
During the Civil war, he was lieutenant in the Home Guards Company at The Dalles
but was never called to the front. He was a veteran of the Cayuse Indian war and
for many years was justice of the peace and school director at The Dalles. He
was a prominent and influential man and in political matters was a strong
Republican. He married Sarah C. Hagey, a native of Iowa, who dwells near our
subject. Mr. Cook has one brother, Edward, and four sisters, Mrs. Chloe Laird,
Mrs. Martha Longsworth, Mrs. Eliza Connett, and Mrs. Harriett Connett. Mrs. Cook
has three brothers and one sister, William A., Homer, Samuel, and Mrs. Jennie
Bly. To our subject and his wife, eight children have been born; Jennie, wife of
Frank Moore, at Boyd; Nettie M., wife of George Mann, at The Dalles; Grace, wife
of Frank B. Friedley in Hood River valley; Charles E., a farmer adjacent;
Ehrman, at Hood River; William M., in The Dalles; Annie M., at home, aged
twenty; and Florence, at home, aged thirteen.      

Politically Mr. Cook is a good strong Republican and interested in the questions
of the day. His wife belongs to the Methodist church and is superintendent of
the Sunday school. It is said that Gilliam county is named from Mrs. Cook's
father's uncle and a more extended account of the matter is made in the
historical portion of this work.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. 
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.