Jabez Cook
JABEZ COOK, the subject of this brief record, is one of the early pioneers of Richland County. He is the son of Noah Cook, a native of New Jersey, who emigrated to Washington County, Pennsylvania, when a boy, and was there twice married, and had thirteen children -- three by his first wife (Miss Mills) and ten by his second wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Baldwin. Of these ten children the subject of this sketch is the fourth child. He was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, on the 11th. of July, 1792, and remained on a farm, attending the commons schools of his native place, until about twenty years ago. When the war of 1812 broke out he entered the army as a member of a volunteer militia company, which was ordered to rendezvous at Meadville, and marched thence to Black Rock, on the Niagara frontier. They had some intention of crossing over and taking Canada, but, as was supposed, through the treachery of their general, were deprived of rendering the campaign illustrious by such an achievement. Mr. Cook was five months in the service, and is now receiving a pension from the government. In the spring of 1814, he came with his father to Richland County, near Lexington, and remained with him during the summer. The country was then subject to ague, and Mr. Cook became a victim. He therefore thought it better to return to Pennsylvania. There he married on the 2d. day of March, 1815, Miss Hannah Parson. She was born December 6th., 1794. In the spring of 1815, Mr. Cook, leaving his wife in Pennsylvania, came again to Richland County, and located on a quarter section which had been entered by his father, in Madison Township, about two and one-half miles southwest of Mansfield. Here he erected a log cabin on an Indian trail leading from the Wyandotte to the Greentown reservations. Indians were plenty in the county then, and almost every day more or less of them passed by his cabin. They were peaceable, and never molested Mr. Cook, or his wife, though they often called at his cabin expecting to get whisky. The county was at that time a wilderness. There was a road cut through from Lexington to Mansfield, but little improvement had been made in clearing farms. In this wild spot Mr. Cook went to work to make himself a home. He cleared a farm, raised his family, and remained there until they were all grown up and married off, and then came to live at Mansfield. The farm Mr. Cook made by his own industry he sold to his son. It is one of the finest farms in the county, and has been awarded the premium by the County Agricultural Society. It is now owned by Mr. Samuel Finney. Mr. Cook and his wife lived on it thirty-nine years before coming to Mansfield in 1853. His son, J.H. Cook, was then keeping the Wiler House, with whom they boarded ten years. Mrs. Cook died March 20th., 1871. After Mr. Cook sold his farm he laid out his money in city lots, which were then low, and the advance in prices has enabled him to more than double his money on them. He owned at one time seventeen lots, ten of which had houses on them. About two years ago he purchased three-eighths of the property on the south-west corner of the city park, known as the "Old North American" on which the first hotel in Mansfield was built, and, with the other proprietors, has enlarged, remodeled, and fitted it up, making it one of the most sightly and desirable hotels in the city. In politics Mr. Cook was a Republican long before the formation of the Republican party, having been an anti-slavery man from his earliest recollection. He has also been all his life an advocate of temperance, both in theory and practice. He founded the first temperance society ever organized in Richland County. Mr. Cook has been an enterprising and public spirited man, taking an active interest in education, and in all measures looking to the progress of the city and county. He took an active part in securing the first railroad to Mansfield, and worked all one summer in superintending the laying of the track. Mr. Cook has a remarkably clear intellect, is a vigorous thinker and a man of sound and independent judgment. He must know the "whys and wherefores" of things. His mind is subtle and penetrating. He does not take things for granted at second hand, but forms his own original opinions for himself. When he has once thought out a problem, and made up his mind, he is not easily shaken from his position. He can give a "reason for the hope that is in him" with great clearness and cogency of argument. He hates shams and sophism, and is too intellectually honest to pretend to believe what he does not. Love of truth is one of his predominating characteristics. Mr. Cook is highly esteemed for his integrity by all who know him.
From ATLAS MAP OF RICHLAND COUNTY, OHIO. By A.T. Andreas. Chicago, Ill., 1873, p. 22