User:Halvorsen brian/Charles A. Cook (Oregon politician)

Charles A. Cook
A drawing of Cook from The Oregonian
Mayor of St. Johns, Oregon
In office
1903–1905
Preceded byNone
Succeeded byW. H. King
Personal details
BornFebruary 1859
California
Political partyPeople's Party
OccupationCommunications operator

Charles A. Cook (born February 1859) was the first mayor of St. Johns, Oregon, and a telegraph and telephone operator.

Biography

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Cook was born on February 1859 in California.[1] In 1889, Cook was working as a traffic officer for the W. U. Telephone Company in [[Portland, Oregon.[2] He was living at the corner of Seventh and G streets in Portland.[2] By 1893, Cook was residing at 1449 E. Sixth street.[3] At that time, he found employment at the P. P. Telephone Company.[3] Two years later, he moved to 401 E. Seventh street.[4] His work with the firm brought him to St. Johns, Oregon in 1898.[5] In March 1900, Cook began the construction of his new home inside St. Johns.[6] In 1897, at the age of 38, he married a 23 year old from Nebraska.[1]

Cook was the mayor of St. Johns during the beginning of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. Mayor Cook declared the St. Johns Review, the town's weekly periodical, would be distributed amongst the fair attendees.[7] During Cook's tenure as mayor, he oversaw many civic improvements including servicing the town's fire hydrants, the passing of the town's first charter.[8] He made his final speech before the St. Johns City Council in early April 1905 after two years of service.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b "1900 United States Census". U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Federal Government. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Cook, Charles A.". Portland City Directory. Portland, Oregon: L. K. Polk and Co. 1889. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Cook, Charles A.". Portland City Directory. Portland, Oregon: L. K. Polk and Co. 1893. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  4. ^ "Cook, Charles A.". Portland City Directory. Portland, Oregon: L. K. Polk and Co. 1895. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ "Cook, Charles A.". Portland City Directory. Portland, Oregon: L. K. Polk and Co. 1898. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. ^ "Many New Residences Building Going Forwards On Both Sides Of The River. Two Big Houses". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 21 March 1900. p. 5. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  7. ^ "How shall we advertise?". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 30 December 1904. p. 1. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  8. ^ "Ordinance No. 39". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 13 January 1905. p. 8. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ "Their last roll call". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 7 April 1905. p. 3. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
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