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File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project
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Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890

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The Biography of Thomas COOK 

Pages 310 & 313, transcribed in full by Danni Hopkins 

[Surnames: COOK, GOLDEN, MORAN] 

    
THOMAS COOK has lived in Fulton County since 1858 and during that time has acquired a solid reputation as a straightforward, honorable man, and as a thrifty, hard working, capable farmer. Since 1874 he has been a factor in the agricultural life in this section of the country, and has managed his well-equipped farm on sections 20 and 22, with skill and profit since it came into his possession at that time. 
    
He is a native of Kilmena Parish, County Mayo, Ireland, where he was born in 1823. His parents were also natives of that place and he resided with them until 1849. In that year he married Bridget, daughter of Hubert and Nancy (Moran) Golden, who was born in the same year and the same place as himself. 
    
Our subject soon left his young bride in their native village, that he might cross the waters and make a more comfortable home for her in America. After landing on these shores he made his way to Pittsburg, Pa., whence he went a short time afterwards to St. Louis, Mo., where he remained about five years engaged in steamboating. When he had been there two years and was comfortably fixed his wife joined him, and in 1858,they came to this county and located in Lewistown, which was then a very small place. While there Mr. Cook engaged in various kinds of business and finally bought, in the year 1874, one hundred and four acres of land on sections 20 and 22, Bernadotte Township, where he now resides. He has seventy-five acres of his land under fine cultivation, has a good house, barn and other necessary buildings that go to make up a good and well-improved farm. He has a self-binder, a mower, and all other modern machinery that is in use on a first-class farm. His farm is well-stocked with cattle, horses and hogs of standard grades. 
    
Mr. and Mrs. Cook have had six children born to them of whom three died young and three are living--Thomas, Mary and Bridget. Mr. Cook has worked hard in the accumulation of his property and has received valuable aid from his wife who is a cheerful, capable and willing helpmate. He is of a peaceable, kind and obliging disposition and has never had a law suit in his life or was he ever on a jury. He has always attended strictly to his own affairs, letting other people's business alone and always gets along well with his neighbors. He begrudges happiness to no one, is no man's enemy and has no enemies of his own, but on the contrary has many friends. In politics he is a Democrat; in religion a Catholic.