William Palmer Cook (1809 - aft. 1868)

Born 1809 in Ancaster, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Jane (McGarvy) Cook — married 28 Mar 1832 in Home District, Algoma, Ontario, Canada

Descendants

Died after 1868 after age 59 in Wisconsin, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Joachim Hawn [send private message] and Steve Turley [send private message]

Biography

WILLIAM PALMER COOK

NOTE For well-written, historically accurate, well-sourced, impeccably researched and insightful Cook and affiliated Family histories, with an emphasis on the Wisconsin and beyond, descendants of WILLIAM PALMER COOK & JANE McGARVY please see:

by Susan Fassbender

Outagamie and Beyond -Samuel Andrew Cook:

http://www.outagamieandbeyond.com/s-a-cook/

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An interesting discovery....when viewing the August 1832 Marriage Register for JOHN COOK & ELIZABETH FARR….if you scroll up on the same form to the March Registrations you’ll find WILLIAM COOK & JANE McGARVEY….and to my utter delight was the further find of who is listed as William and Jane's witnesses...

ANDREW MARACLE and ELIZABETH MARACLE ( a fairly common misspelling of "Markle"..) aka my direct connection to the Cook Family - ELIZABETH MARKLE's maiden name was ELIZABETH COOK, and she was the older sister of JOHN and WILLIAM

Marriages in March & August 1832 (Again, on the same Register Page) for brothers:

John & William Palmer Cook and their brides, Elizabeth Farr and Jane McGarvy, respectively.

http://www.ontariogenealogy.com/uppercanadamarriages.html Ontario Marriages

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All relevant matches or potential “Cook” Family members UPPER CANADA (Central Ontario)MARRIAGE INDEXES:http://www.ontariogenealogy.com/uppercanadamarriages.html

__GROOM/BRIDE_______________________DATE___

COOK, ALLEN...HULL, HARRIET................1837

COOK, JAMES....WILLIAMS, ELIZABETH...1828

COOK, JANE......ELLIOTT, WILLIAM...........1849

COOK, JOHN....FARR, ELIZABETH.............1832

COOK, WILLIAM...GARVEY (McGARVEY)..JANE..1832

COOK, ANDREW...BELCHER, PHEBE........1835

COOK, ANN...AUSTIN, EBENEZER............1828

COOK, JOHN...RYAN, MARY......................1838

__BRIDE/GROOM________________________DATE_____

GARVEY..(McGARVEY), JANE..COOK, WILLIAM..1832

HOME DISTRICT MARRIAGES

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maryc/home10.htm

EARLY ONTARIO CANADA MARRIAGES, 1801-1930

Name: WILLIAM COOK..Spouse Name: JANE Mc GARVEY

Marriage Date:.........................................28 March 1832

Marriage County:....Home District Archives of Ontario

Microfilm:.........................................................MS248_02

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&rank=1&f3=&f4=Cook&=&f10=&rg_81004011__date=&rs_81004011__date=0&f12=&f15=&f17=&f18=&f21=&f22=&f25=&f26=&f32=&rg_81018011__date=&rs_81018011__date=0&f34=&f35=&f44=&f45=&rg_f46__date=1830&rs_f46__date=10&f48=&gskw=&prox=1&db=ontariomarr1858-1899_ga&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&pcat=34&fh=3&h=3830094&recoff=2 ]

1881 HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN

Chicago:

The Western Historical Company

A.T. Andreas, Proprietor (grammar as is)

Pg. 251

ALFRED COOK

Furniture, Unity

Born in Canada West, Oct. 4, 1854, he came to Calumet County, Wisconsin, with his parents to the town of Stockbridge, where they stayed; in 1865, he took a trip to Iowa; he first came to Unity, Clark County, on a visit and went to Calumet County to get a wife; then located here with his brother S. A. COOK opened general merchandise store; sold to his brother and went to Stockbridge and commenced farming, where he remained till 1880; returned to Unity, and in the Spring opened his furniture store.

In 1860, his mother and eldest sister were drowned on the Lady Elgin. His father died in 1868. One of his brothers is living on the old farm. Two brothers in Minnesota. Oldest brother and youngest sister dead. In 1873, he married Miss Amanda M. Blood. They have five children—

Herbert A.,

George S.,

Lewis W.,

Henrietta and

Mabel.

Mr. Cook has been in office as Supervisor. Belongs to the I.O.O.F.

The following is from the Andrew Cook Genealogy by John and Eileen Houser, 1971

WILLIAM COOK

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The tenth child of Andrew and Anna Christina (Palmer) Cook, was born (likely) at the Ancaster pioneer homestead. There is a conflict as to the year of his birth as the 1851-52 Canadian Census for the County of York, Township of King, lists William as 42 years old at that date. This places his birth date in 1809.

However, the June 18th, 1860 Census for Stockbridge Post Office, Calumet County, Wisconsin, shows him as being 48 years old, placing his birth date in 1812. It is assumed that he actually was born in 1809 since other records show that he married JANE McGARVY in 1831 when both were 22 years old.

Jane, born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania on December 15th, 1809, later moved with her parents and family to Toronto Township. (Jane's father, John Mc Garvy, was born in Scotland and was married in 1806 at Newton, Bucks County, Pa. by the Rev. James Boyd to Elizabeth Eaken, born 1785 at Monoghan, Ireland).

William and his bride homesteaded about thirty miles north of Cooksville, Ontario - near Lloydtown (now in the Schomberg area) in the County of York, Township of King. Having learned something of the stage-coach business from his elder brother (Jacob Cook), William also operated a mail and passenger coach line to Mathels Corners (now Aurora, Ont.) from the new railway (The Ontario, Simcoe & Huron) that ran north some distance from Toronto. He also was a merchant as is confirmed in the 1855 Assessment Roll and Collector's Roll of Nobleton, Ont., and ran the local Post Office.

The Collector's Roll shows William as 25 years Old, owning ¼ acre, part of Lot No. 31, Concession 9, and his occupation as a Merchant.

His real property was assessed at $450.00 and his business for $250.00, for a total assessment of $700.00 Oddly enough, while his assessment was in dollars, his taxes were in English currency, being 3 pounds, 3 Shillings, and eightpence. This was probably about the period in which conversion to decimal coinage was taking place.

William and Jane were the parents of twelve children:

1. WILLIAM CHARLES COOK (1833–before 1864)

2. ELIZABETH ANN COOK (1836–1860)

3. MARY CATHERINE "Kate" COOK HEALY (1837–1923)

4. (Twins) WATSON HENRY COOK (1839–1929) and

4. LORETTA COOK ELLIOTT (1839–1925)

5. JACOB HARRISON COOK (1841–1917)

6. SARAH JANE COOK DRAKE (1842–1925)

7. JAMES MILTON COOK (1845–1936)

8. Hon. SAMUEL ANDREW COOK (1849–1918)

9. (Twins) ALFRED COOK (1850–1921) and

9. ALBERT COOK (1850-1930)

10. HENRIETTA COOK (1852-1870)

All were born at Lloydtown, Ontario with the exception of Sarah Jane, whose birthplace is given as Kettleby, Ontario (near Loydtown) while William and Jane were raising their children, the atmosphere in the Lloydtown area was far from tranquil. It was during this period that the Reform Party's William Lyon Mackenzie was agitating for a more democratic Canadian government less influenced by Britain.

William Lyon Mackenzie led the ill-fated rebellion of 1837 which was defeated decisively by Loyalist Forces near Toronto.

Many of McKennzie's sympathizers lived in the area of Lloydtown, Ontario, and another writer described Lloydtown as it was in 1837 —

"In 1837, Lloydtown, a seething bed of sullen disaffection, had scarcely a loyal individual ‘to alleviate the general spirit of hostility to the constituted authorities.‘ This district prided itself on being the most disloyal in Upper Canada, most of its men having been 'out' in the rebellion, and many in prison afterwards. Hence the Church was the object of much hatred."

The ‘Church’ referred to was the Church of England, and during this period, the Methodist Church gained many adherents in this area. Indeed, William's family were all born into this Methodist faith.

On Nov. 20th, l847, William was a witness to the sales document relating to his father's (Andrew) 100-acre property in Toronto Township, for which Andrew received 700 pounds.

Already 78 years of age, it appears probable that Andrew moved into William's home at that time. Certainly, the Canadian Census of 1851-52 shows Andrew living with William at Lloydtown, aged 82 years by then.

In 1856, William moved his family (except, probably, the aged Andrew whom we suspect had died by that time) to Calumet County, Wisconsin, U.S.A. William bought a large farm near Stockbridge, Wisconsin, and the 1860 Wisconsin Census of the area shows William, Jane, and the entire family as residents of that property—William was described as a "Farmer" and his three eldest sons "Farm labourers." William also made a down payment on six other farms, planning to set up his sons properly.

In the Summer of 1860, a tragic and historic event occurred which resulted in severe loss and a great shock to the William Cook Family.

While William and the rest of the family tended the farm, his wife Jane and two of their children -- Elizabeth, then 24, and Jacob, 19, returned to Canada to collect money due from the sale of William's Lloydtown property and stage line, and now required to complete the purchase of the several farms for which William had bargained. The three, having successfully completed their mission, were returning to Wisconsin aboard the palatial paddlewheel steamer, Lady Elgin.

Jane had close to $12,000. in gold sewn into her clothing for safe-keeping.

During the night of September 8th, 1860, the Lady Elgin and the two-masted schooner "Augusta" collided, sinking the Lady Elgin and drowning some 400 of the 550 passengers aboard.

Lost, were Jane (with the $12,000. in gold sewn in her clothing) and Elizabeth. By some miracle, Jacob survived.

The loss was a tremendous shock to William. His wife of 29 years and his 24-year-old daughter were gone. The fortune which sank with Jane put an end to all his plans to acquire additional properties for his sons, and indeed there was little he could salvage when all debts were paid.

We lose sight of William at this time, although it is thought that he Probably left the area when his son James married and moved to Iowa.

An interesting account of the sinking of the Lady Elgin, carried in the September 7th,1960 issue of the Milwaukee Journal, is repeated in this review of William Cook's life:

100 YEARs AGO, MESSAGE of HORROR WAS RECEIVED:

‘LADY ELGIN SUNK'

Disaster plunged City in Grief. 298 Bodies found, but the toll was higher.

(by Rod VanEvery of the Journal Staff)

Exactly one hundred years ago Thursday, the telegraph line from Chicago Clacked out a horrifying message here -

'Lady...Elgin...sunk'.

The three words plunged daggers of fear into a huge proportion of Milwaukee's population of 45,246. In the next three weeks or so, hardly a family would remain untouched by the tragedy, one of the worst, probably second-worst in the history of the Great Lakes.

No one ever determined exactly how many persons died when the swift lady-Elgin and the schooner Augusta collided off of Winnetka, Ill on September 8, 1860. Records show that 298 bodies were recovered but the total loss might been more than 400, mostly from Milwaukee. Saved after a freezing howling night of terror were l48, of whom ll6 were from Milwaukee.

WILL MARK CENTENNIAL

The Milwaukee County Historical Society will mark the centennial of the tragedy from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Terrace Avenue museum, 2246 Terrace Ave.

A watercolor of the stricken Lady Elgin, by Clarence Menegary of the society's museum staff will be unveiled. Theodore Mueller, society curator, former Great Lakes sailor, will speak on the disaster and other lakes sinking’s. A photograph of the survivors, the pilothouse door, and a shutter from the Elgin and other mementos will be displayed.

For the first time in 15 years, St. John's Roman Catholic Cathedral: 802 North Jackson St. Thursday will hold a Memorial Mass at 10 A.M. for the dead in the Lady Elgin disaster. Many of the dead were third ward residents of Irish extraction and members of St John's. For 85 years, until 1945, a yearly mass marked the sad anniversary.

SLAVERY WAS ISSUE

The fate of the Lady Elgin was wrapped in the bitter issue of slavery. She wouldn’t have made the excursion to Chicago without the cream of Milwaukee's young Irish and Germans aboard if Wisconsin had not been so hotly, almost treasonously, abolitionist.

Many of the South's runaway slaves had made their way to Wisconsin and had been secreted from pursuing federal officers. Some had been actually taken away from them. Some prominent Wisconsin residents had been tossed into jail for such goings-on. There were threats of a Wisconsin secession from the Union. One legislator even sought to have Wisconsin declare war on the United States Projected into the middle of this political—social inferno, were the Barry Guards, a state militia company headed by former West Pointer, Capt. Garret Barry. When Barry said that his crack company, the pride of Milwaukee, would have to fight on the side of the United States, Gov. Alex. W. Randall, Waukesha, a red hot antislaver, ordered the Barry Guards (correct name: Union Guards) disbanded and their weapons turned in.

ACTION WAS A BLOW TO MILWAUKEE PRIDE

It was a cruel blow to the company and the huge pride Milwaukee had in them. Many townspeople came to the defense of the guards, made up of young Irishmen, loyal to both their State and their Country. One of them was Representative C.H. Larrabee, Horicon. He obtained 80 rifles for the men at $2.00 each. To pay for them, an excursion to Chicago aboard the Lady Elgin was arranged.

The Lady Elgin was the sweetest passenger ship on the Great Lakes. Built in 1850 in Canada, she was named for the wife of Lord Elgin, once Canada's governor-general. She was 300 feet long, 1,000 tons, sleek and noted for her service. She was powered by side paddle—wheels and could make faster time than many of today's lakers.

CARRIED MAIL AND FREIGHT

The Lady Elgin carried mail and freight for Canada along the northern Great Lakes shores until the Grand Trunk Railway was completed and grabbed most of the business. Hubbard, Spencer & Co., Chicago, bought her and put her into general service between Chicago and Bayfield, with stops at most intermediate ports. She was always available for special excursions.

On Sept. 6, 1860, the Lady Elgin arrived four hours late and began loading at about 10 P.M. Aboard went the Barry Guards in full uniform, the Light Drumcorps, the city band, delegations from several fire companies, public officers, many members of the Black Yagers and Green Yagers, German militia companies, their bands and orchestra, old-time fiddlers and flutists.

There was little sleep aboard the Lady that night, what with dancing, singing and storytelling. She arrived in Chicago at about daybreak, and the Milwaukeeans went sightseeing. In the afternoon, the Barry Guards Performed their intricate maneuvers through the streets. At night, there were four hours of dinner, speeches, and music.

MORE THAN 514 ABOARD

Many non—Milwaukeeans boarded the Lady Elgin at Chicago for the trip to Milwaukee. Among them were F.A. Lumsden, editor of the New Orleans (La.) Picqayne, and his family, and Sir Herbert Ingraham, proprietor of the illustrated, London (England) news and a member of Parliament

The northbound passengers numbered at least 514, maybe more,

The weather gave signs of turning nasty, and the Lady Elgin's master, Capt. Jack Wilson, confided to a newsman that he didn’t put for Milwaukee that night. But most of the Milwaukean’s had to be at work the next day and urged him to shove off. He did, at 11: 30 P.M.

At first there was fog. Then an increasingly strong northeast wind. Finally, the rain came down in torrents and the wind built up to gale proportions. The Ship rocked and rolled in the huge waves.

SINGING AND DANCING HALTED BY WEARINESS

The gaiety of the party subsided. The singing and dancing stopped. The young people, worn out from lack of sleep the night before and a full day of activity in Chicago lacked the stamina for more. The few who had been able to get staterooms retired. Others lay down and slept where ever they could find room–on the floor and benches.

The story of the collision and the night of terror is told by the late George M. Scanlan, a Milwaukean, in a tiny 1928 Book The Lady-Elgin Disaster.

Captain Wilson held the Lady-Elgin well out in the lake on a north, slightly west heading. She was 12 miles northeast of Winnetka, 918 miles South of Chicago, when the collision occurred, shortly after 2:30 a.m.

AUGUSTA LOW IN WATER

The Chicago bound schooner "Augusta", a two-master, heavily loaded with lumber, so deep in the water that she steered badly. Capt. Darius LaMott held her on a south-easterly course.

Although the watches on the ships sighted each other's lights while the distance between them was ample to avoid a collision, neither could determine, in the wind, waves and rain, the other's course.

Capt. Malott was on the Augusta's bridge, and a mate was on the Lady Elgin. The latter, fearing a collision called Capt. Wilson. Wilson at first thought that someone on board the Augusta wanted to board the Lady Elgin. He yelled his question into the night. The answer came back in the negative. Still, the ships continued on a collision course, at about ten miles an hour.

SHIP WOULD NOT RESPOND

In the last moments, Malott tried to swing the Augusta to the west but the Ship refused to respond. The Augusta‘s bow crunched into the Lady Elgin on or near her left paddle box. It tore off the paddlewheel and cut into the salon and hull. The northward movement of the Lady Elgin pulled the Augusta northward. The ships swung apart and disappeared into the black night.

The Augusta headed for Chicago-Malott censured later for not lying to and helping, contended that he was unaware of the serious damage inflicted on the Lady Elgin and believed he had only knocked off some of her trimmings.

Survivors said that the Lady Elgin's whistle was tied down and her bell rung continuously after the collision. The Augusta's captain and crew should have heard those distress signals.

To lift the hole in the Lady Elgin's left side above the waterline, Wilson ordered passengers to the right side. They did not understand and did not obey. The hole could not be plugged.

The in-rushing waters extinguished the ship's fires. Wilson had to abandon his plan to steer for the shore.

PASSENGERS TOLD TO PREPARE FOR WORST

Wilson ordered passengers to prepare for the worst, to grab doors, beds: tables, anything that would help them float. Crew members distributed some life preservers. Although there were about 500 passengers on board, they were stored where passengers could not get at them.

In the hold were more than 150 cattle, placed there at Milwaukee as ballast to prevent the crowd of passengers from making the ship top-heavy. Wilson, Barry, crew members and other passengers worked feverishly to dump the cows overboard. Before the job was finished, the water drove them topside.

On the Lady Elgin were three lifeboats. One, containing the clerk and mate, had been lowered to inspect the damage. They lost a pair of oars, could not approach the ship and rowed off to shore. They lived. The second lifeboat containing 13 persons, was lowered successfully and all were saved The third, with eight persons was upset time after time, and only four lived

DECK CHOPPED OFF

Wilson ordered the Lady Elgin's deck chopped off so that when she sank; it would float. Many of the passengers clung to it when the ship settled under the roaring waves. Little by little, in the tearing winds and waves, the deck broke up.

Many persons floated in the bitterly cold waters to within 20 feet of the Winnetka bluffs, 40 feet high, before they died. They were dashed against the bluffs, drowned in the breakers or sucked back into the lake by the undertow of the big waves. Alerted by the clerk and mate in the first lifeboat, the towns people of Winnetka lined the bluffs, but were helpless to give much help.

It was estimated that 120 persons died within 100 feet of shore.

Edward W. Spencer, a young Northwestern University student and powerful swimmer, time after time plunged through the waves, bearing lines to attach to survivors. He saved 17 persons. In 1908 a bronze tablet honoring him was unveiled in the Northwestern Library.

DRUM SAVES A LIFE

The living and the bodies were strung along the lake for miles.

Charles Beverung, the drummer boy for the city band, saved his life with hls drum. Before the Lady Elgin went down, he had whittled a plug for the drum's air vent. Then he lashed the drum to his shoulders. The drum supported him perfectly as it floated to the crests and down the troughs of the waves. For a time, it supported four others, but one by one they dropped off to their deaths. Near the shore, the drum head burst and filled with water. Young Beverung abandoned it, grabbed a piece of wreckage and reached Shore safely.

For many years the drum was a prize memento of the historical society but now is in Prentice, Wis. at the home of a son of Beverung. Charles Beverung died at about 86 in 1920.

Capt. Barry, exhausted and numbed with cold, was dashed to death in the breakers within a few hundred feet of shore.

Captain Wilson also perished.

ALDERMAN HELD ROPE IN HIS MOUTH

Ald. John J. Crilley made it to within 20 feet of shore when a wave capsized his piece of wreckage. Spectators on shore threw him a rope. He could not hang onto it with his numb fingers. Finally, he worked the end of it into his mouth, clamped his jaws tightly and was pulled to shore. Ald. Frank McCormick and his sister died.

Meanwhile, the Augusta arrived at Chicago at dawn and reported the collision. A Capt. Prindeville took his tug McQueen to the scene, but stood offshore for about three hours and made no effort to save the survivors who by that time had floated close to shore. Prindeville was criticized for not risking the breakers to attempt some rescues. The McQueen found the body of one baby.

THOUSANDS SOUGHT NEWS

When the news of the sinking reached Milwaukee, 5,000 persons stormed the railroad station all seeking news from passengers aboard the noon train from Chicago. All telegraph lines were given over exclusively to the disaster. Many Milwaukeeans, most of them from the 3rd ward, set off for the scene by train, buggies, wagon, on horseback and on foot.

Chicago and Milwaukee thieves posing as relatives seeking their dead, picked the pockets of the dead men and stripped rings off the fingers of the dead women.

About 1,000 children were orphaned. Funerals were held daily for three weeks. Whole families were wiped out. Among the prominent persons who died were a teacher, school commissioner, register of deeds, harbormaster, mayor's clerk, deputy federal Marshall and fire chief.

SURVIVORS HELD MEETINGS

For months the bodies floated to the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin: Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Many bodies never were found. Others never were identified. Capt. Barry's body was washed onto an Indiana beach exactly two months later, and all Milwaukee business places were closed for his funeral

The survivors formed an organization and met annually until 1891. There was talk of erecting a monument to the Lady Elgin's dead, but nothing came of it. In fact, Capt. Barry's grave was unmarked in Forest Hill cemetery for many years.

The last survivor, Adalbert Doebert, a member of the city band, died in 1921.

The rescued persons were from Milwaukee, Watertown, Chicago, Ontonagon and Eagle Harbor, Mich; Waupum, New York; Cleveland, Racine and Appleton. The hometowns of the dead included besides Milwaukee, Mineral Point, Stockbridge, Kenosha, Watertown, Chicago, Sheboygan, Granville, Eagle Harbor, Racine and Wauwatcha.

For 55 years, the Lady Elgin's sinking ranked as the Great Lakes‘ worst disaster. Then in 1915, the cruise ship Eastland sank in the Chicago river with a loss of 812 of her 2,500 passengers". ’

I.The Milwaukee Journal, Sept. 7, 1960. (The Milwaukee Wisconsin Public Library) III—l85l V Va 1853 1854

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The following is from OUTAGAMIE and BEYOND, a blog site with both interesting Wisconsin Historical subjects, and as here, material contributed by Susan Fassbender, a descendant herself of William Palmer Cook and Jane McGarvy. Her writing is meticulous and as a conveyor of familial history, none is better.

https://www.outagamieandbeyond.com/blog/page/2/

September 8, 1860

On 6 August 2018

By Susan C Fassbender

The sinking of the Lady Elgin changed the Cook family forever. Both family-wise with the loss of Jane and her daughter, Elizabeth Ann, and financially. The long-awaited money from the sale of property in Canada was lost. There are many versions to be found both in print and online of what happened that night. So for this post, I am going to let Jacob tell the story in his own words. As the anniversary approached in 1892, the Milwaukee Sentinel interviewed some of the remaining survivors and sent an artist to capture their likeness to be published along with their memories. The article was published on 4 Sep 1892.

Jacob was 51 years old the day he was interviewed on September 2nd, his story titled “An Appleton Man’s Escape. His Mother and Sister Were Both Lost–the former’s Body Never Recovered.” reads:

“During the summer of 1860, while returning from an Eastern trip, my mother, my sister Libbie and I, together with twelve others, took passage on a propeller from Collingwood, Ont., to Milwaukee. We arrived near Milwaukee in the night, and it was so cloudy and dark that the captain thought it would not be safe to attempt to land so we continued on to Chicago, where we transferred to the first boat leaving for Milwaukee. That was the fated Lady Elgin, just about to return with more than 400 Milwaukee excursionists. Of the fifteen transferred only two reached Milwaukee. There was music and dancing on the boat, and it was about 1 o’clock in the morning when our party exchanged ‘good night’ and prepared to retire. Before I reached my room, the schooner and steamer collided with such force as to throw me off my feet. The schooner was bound for Chicago with a heavy cargo of lumber from further north, and it is the cause for much wonder among those acquainted with the circumstance, why it did not try to save the passengers of the Lady Elgin by at least throwing over some of the lumber. As it was, however, as soon as they could clear away from the wreck, they pushed on, with all possible speed, to Chicago, thinking, as the captain said they themselves had sustained serious injury. Be that as it may, my first impression, when the crash came, and we could see the bright lights and heavy jib-boom of the schooner looming up over us, was that the boat must have been struck by lightening.

We soon heard calls to throw down bedding and mattresses to stop the leak but it was found that they could do no good. The boat filled with water and settled rapidly. Heavy waves stuck us with terrific force, smashing the lamps, leaving us in total darkness. Calls for life-preservers were heard on all sides, and the few wooden ones that were thrown in were seized by many frantic hands. Mother and sister were each provided with one. Furniture tumbled about, people fell over and trampled upon each other, some prayed, some cried; some crazed with agony, called for their friends on shore to help them, while others, in despair, moaned that we were all lost. The creaking and grating of broken timers, the solemn sound of the bell calling for help, the sound of distress from the whistle, which continued as long as there was enough steam to make a noise; all added to the horror of the situation. Above this noise and confusion, was heard the voice of Capt. Wilson, telling us to get the women up on the hurricane deck. The deck was soon crowded. A few moments later a monster wave struck the boat, breaking the iron rods that sustained one of the heavy smoke stacks. A flash of lightning followed, lighting the scene for an instant, and we saw the smoke stack fall across the deck, crushing, and burying several women beneath it.

While mother and sister were sitting on the edge of the hurricane deck, strapped in their wooden preservers and waiting for the end, mother said that probably the boat was so near shore that it might not sink below the surface. Those were the last words I ever heard her speak for at that instant the boat went down, taking me with it. When I came up my hands touched something, which proved to be a piece of plank about eighteen inches wide by six feet in length. It was about 2 o’clock in the night when the boat went down and about 5 the next afternoon I drifted in near enough to the shore to reach the end of a pole held out to me by a man suspended by a rope in the hands of several others from the top of that high clay bank south of Racine. The sixth day after the Lady Elgin went down we found, but could not identify but by a scar only, the body of my sister, but my mother we never saw again.”

OUTAGAMIE and BEYOND

https://www.outagamieandbeyond.com/2018/08/04/a-face-to-a-name/#comments

A Face to a Name

On 4 August 2018

By Susan C Fassbender

I grew up hearing about the Cook Tragedy. The day that the Lady Elgin sank, and my 3rd times great-grandmother Jane McGarvy/McGarvey Cook, drowned in Lake Michigan with $12,000 in gold pieces sewn into the hem of her dress. Her daughter perished with her, but her son miraculously survived.

This tragedy almost ruined the Cook family, as Jane was returning to Wisconsin from Canada with the money that they had planned to use to pay for the six farms that they had secured.

For most of my life, this is all that I knew about Jane. Other than what was included in a 1910 newspaper article by Lieut. Col. J. A. Watrous, which states:

“…The father was utterly crushed. The great heart, strong intellect, the master mind, the loving, successful planner and leader, the pilot of the interesting family was no more; her going meant final disaster to the father, irreparable loss to nine surviving boys and girls…”

That is until this summer when I happened upon an image of Jane on ancestry.com. In contacting the owner of the tree, I was put in touch with a cousin in Canada, the owner of the image. The image is also on familysearch.org at this link: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/L7J1-RG9

Finally I was able to put a face to the name Jane McGarvy/McGarvey Cook.

Jane was born 15 Dec 1810 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She married William Palmer Cook on 28 Mar 1832 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They would have twelve children, including two sets of twins. I can only imagine!

This image of Jane is in the family archives of her 2nd great-granddaughter, through Jane’s daughter Loretta. Loretta and her twin, Watson Henry, were the 4th born to William and Jane. Well, to be truthful, the 4th and 5th born. It is believed that at the time that the family moved to Wisconsin in 1856, Loretta stayed in Canada with her aunt, Jane’s sister, Elizabeth, and her husband, John Elliott

In conversation with Loretta’s grand-daughter, we believe that this image of Jane was taken in 1860, during her last visit home. Jane and Elizabeth’s mother, Elizabeth Eaken McGarvy was still alive, and I can sympathize with her as a mother of children living miles away, how important it would be to have an image of her daughter. In fact there is also an image of Jane and Elizabeth that appears to have been taken at the same time.

There are many stories published in print, and on the web, about the Lady Elgin disaster, and also the Cook story. In another post I will add my view of what happened to the mix. But it all starts with looking Jane in the face. This woman who is said to have had a great heart, a strong intellect, was the master mind, the loving, successful planner and leader, and the pilot of the Cook family.

NOTES:

1.“Historical Sketch of the Cook Family,” The Marshfield News, 14 Apr 1910, Thursday, p. 1, col. 6; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 12 Jan 2018).

2. Frederick Douglas Hamilton Cook and Kathryn Ellen May (Somerville) Cook, Echoes from Andrew and Anna: A Historical/Genealogical Story of Andrew & Anna Christina (Palmer) Cook – The Gentle Cook Embrace, 2 volumes (Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada: The Andrew Cook Genealogical Society, 1992), II: 958. NOTE: This source lists her birth year as being 1809. See Footnote #3 for further information.

3. Frederick Douglas Hamilton Cook and Kathryn Ellen May (Somerville) Cook, Echoes from Andrew and Anna: A Historical/Genealogical Story of Andrew & Anna Christina (Palmer) Cook–The Gentle Cook Embrace, 2 volumes (Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada: The Andrew Cook Genealogical Society, 1992), II: 958. NOTE: This source lists her birth year as being 1809. See Footnote #3 for further information.

4. Ontario Archives of Ontario, Toronto, marriage certificate reel 2, vol 10, page 67 (1832), William Cook-Jane Mc Garvey; digital image, “District Marriage Registers, 1801-1858,”Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 Oct 2010).

This story was originally added to Ancestry.com

Profile for William Cook

By tracyreins4

On 9/18/2020

A MEMORABLE TIME

OLD DAY EVENTS ARE RECALLED

Lieut. Col. J. A. Watrous of Milwaukee writes for the Times of the Coming of the Cook Family to Stockbridge.

The coming of the Cook family from Canada to Stockbridge, Calumet county, in 1856, was a memorable event, not only for the Cook family, but for Stockbridge and the whole county.

It was not an ordinary family; indeed it was an extraordinary family. It consisted of father and mother, ten children, six boys and four girls, and a dear old grandmother.

The news of the arrival quickly spread over the ambitious young county. No other such an increase of population, under one roof, had occurred in that section since Wisconsin became a state. The Cooks were subjects for discussion in all homes schools and societies.

The Stockbridges, civilized Indians who came from New York not far from eighty years ago, and settled on the rich lands of that portion of the east shore of Lake Winnebago, gave their white friends from Canada a warm welcome, as did the people of the whole county as soon as they could get around to it. And well they might, for the Cooks had come to stay and help to build up and advance all good interests. While not wealthy as wealth is measured today, they could demand more ready cash than any other family in the town, and probably in the county, at that time. And, in some way it became known that the Cooks, in a short time would receive other money assignments from their old home. In those days, as today, money counted. But in those days the possessors of wealth - at least in Calumet county as it was fifty-four years ago – were regarded as real blessings by the pioneers, and not as a menace, as today, by many naturally well-meaning people, who have allowed themselves to be misled by self-seeking, unpatriotic, dangerous demagogues, who possess rare skill in tearing down, but never build up – except themselves.

Mr. Cook bought one large farm for immediate use, making a considerable payment, and bargained-for six others, a farm for each of the boys as they should swarm from the home hive. A payment was made on each of the additional tracts of land.

People from the other towns who visited Stockbridge expected and hoped to meet from one to a dozen of the Cooks before returning. My opportunity came the winter of 1858, when I was teaching in the Merrill district, town of Chilton, and my brother had charge of the Stockbridge school. The boys and girls were my chief attraction. They were all present. Is it only the echo I hear, now fifty-two years after? It seems like the teacher’s voice as he calls “Watson Cook, Jacob Cook, James Cook, Samuel Cook, Alfred Cook, Sarah Cook, Loretta Cook, Jennie Cook.” The balance of the scholars and all visitors sat up and took notice of the Cooks at roll call. It was one of the real events of the day.

“They are all good scholars and make me no trouble,” said the teacher, in speaking of the Cook children. “That little chap at the end of a bench, not yet ten, never takes his eyes from his studies, and prefers to study to playing at recess. Watch him.” I did. His blue eyes seemed to be glued to his books.

The Cook money in Canada was due in August 1860. It was planned that Mrs. Cook, one of the boys and a girl, would go to their old home on a visit and bring the wealth back to the new home, where it would soon be needed in meeting payments on the farm. Mrs. Cook received it in gold - $12,000.00. It was a cumbersome package, but they preferred it that way to taking drafts.

Early in September the three took passage on a steamer for Milwaukee, but went on to Chicago, where Mrs. Cook and her party were transferred to a boat that would soon start for Milwaukee.

It started from Chicago, but never reached Milwaukee. It was the Lady Elgin, which went down with nearly all of its hundreds of passengers, most of whom were Milwaukeeans. Mrs. Cook and her daughter were among the lost. In some manner, just how he cannot explain, the son, Jacob H., found himself upon a door. To this he clung for many hours and was finally rescued, more dead than alive.

No pen can describe the grief, shock and distress in the Cook household when the awful news reached it. I shall make no attempt to describe it.

It is often the case that the strong, the far-seeing, the planning, leading character in the family is the wife and mother. Mrs. Cook held that place, and to the joy and satisfaction of her devoted husband and good father, and her leadership resulted in a lasting and invaluable impression upon her children.

But the very day that the happy flock in the Stockbridge home was expecting the return of the absent ones, the terrible news came instead. The father was utterly crushed. The great heart, strong intellect, the master mind, the loving, successful planner and leader, the pilot of the interesting family was no more; her going meant final disaster to the father, irreparable loss to nine surviving boys and girls.

There was no money to meet payments on the six farms and they were lost. But little was saved on the homestead. The wreck of the lady Elgin seemed to have wrecked the whole family, yet only for a short time did it seem so.

During the war period, which began a few months after the great tragedy, most of the Cook boys were men and girls, women. Two of the latter were married in that period. One of the boys, Jacob H., responded to Lincoln’s first call for 300,000 soldiers. He started as a private and two years later was a captain in as good a regiment as left Wisconsin, the Fifth. It was in contemplation to make him colonel of one of he late regiments, but his health failed. He has long resided at Appleton. That same year James M. Cook enlisted in the Second Cavalry and served to the end of the war. He now resides in Idaho. In 1862 Watson began as a private in the Twenty-first regiment and at the end of the war was a first lieutenant. He has filled important places in Washington for many years.

Another brother made two unsuccessful and one successful effort to become a soldier. Col. B. J. Sweet, of the Twenty-first, a Stockbridge neighbor of the Cooks, allowed Samuel Cook, not yet twelve, to go to his camp at Oshkosh, help about quarters until orders came to go South, but wouldn’t enlist him.

Two years later, in his fifteenth year, he joined his brother, James, as a soldier in the Second Cavalry. The two remaining boys were altogether too young to enlist. Two of the brothers-in-law were soldiers, so it will be seen that President Lincoln fared well in his deals with the Cook family.

One more reference: In 1906 one of the brothers decided upon a reunion.

Several had not met other members of the family for thirty-five years. One had been separated from the rest for nearly half a century. The reunion took place at the home of former Congressman Samuel A. Cook, of Neenah. There was only one of the ten boys and girls who went to Stockbridge fifty years before who was absent. The dead from the Lady Elgin disaster explained her absence. Six men, the youngest 59 and the oldest 73, and three sisters were present. Such a reunion cannot be described. Indeed, should it be? There is too much that is sacred about it. But I will call the roll, as my teacher-editor brother did fifty years ago; Capt. Jacob H., Lieut. Watson, James, Ex-Congressman Samuel A., “That little chap at the end of the bench,” Alfred, Albert, Kate, Sarah and Loretta. All answered “present,” as they had done in the Stockbridge school.

Comments:

According to the internet, Stockbridge was founded by Indians who moved from Stockbridge, MA.

The list of passengers accounted for on the Lady Elgin included Miss Elizabeth Ann Cook, Mrs. Jane McGarvy Cook, and Jacob Harrison Cook. The Story by Lieut. Col. Watrous, “Memorable Time, Old Day Events are Recalled” was written in 1910. This date comes from 3 references including the last paragraph’s reference to 52 years ago – 1858 in the story. There are more stories on the Lady Elgin shipwreck on the internet.

Sources

• Wisconsin, County Naturalization Records, 1807-1992; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G936-D6CL?cc=2046887&wc=M56P-K6F%3A350574501%2C350707201 /WILLIAM COOK•UNITED STATES•DECLARATION of INTENTION•url: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G936-D6CL /Indexed Information/This record has not yet been indexed/View the original document/Citation:"Wisconsin, County Naturalization Records, 1807-1992," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G936-D6CL?cc=2046887&wc=M56P-K6F%3A350574501%2C350707201 : 22 May 2014), Calumet>Declarations of intention 1850-1892 Caelis, Patrie-Ester, William>image 54 of 335; county courthouses, Wisconsin
• "Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XR2Y-T82 : 3 June 2016), William Cook for Samuel A. Cook and Jennie Christie, 17 May 1876; citing Stockbridge, Calumet, Wisconsin, United States, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison; FHL microfilm 1,275,830.
• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MWMG-75K : 12 April 2016), Willm Cook, 1860. Census shows all the Cook children – including Loretta, even though she is known to not have emigrated with William and Jane – being raised by an aunt and uncle in Ontario – speculation by the Houser’s is that she was is captured on the Census during a visit to Wisconsin ….or perhaps is being counted in absentia (reasoned in part due to the irresolvable issue of age attributed to her. But then again (just my opinion ) equally untenable is the birth-year attributed to the other set of Cook twins [Albert and Alfred] as 1849 and 1852. Obviously, their dates should also be a match. Lastly, is the issue of Birth-Year; here reported late....for both William and Jane who were known to both to have been born the same year (1809). William shown here as 1812 and Jane as 1814.
• " Citation "Ontario, County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/Q2CY-BN49 : 31 March 2017), Wm for John Elliot and Loretta Cook, 01 May 1863; citing York, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,030,068.
• "Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XR2Y-82H : 3 June 2016), William P. Cook for Isaac Palmer Drake and Sarah Jane Cook, 05 Jan 1862; citing Stockbridge, Calumet, Wisconsin, United States, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison; FHL microfilm 1,275,829.[NOTE]: 1st of 4 record examples indicating knowledge of a middle initial “P” not elsewhere substantiated to record – but does appear in claims as “PALMER”.
• "Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XR2Y-VSJ : 3 June 2016), Wm. P. Cook for Samuel A. Cook and Abbie F. Kelliher, 16 Sep 1873; citing Brothertown, Calumet, Wisconsin, United States, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison; FHL microfilm 1,275,829.
• "Canada Census, 1851," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MWTL-G1X : 3 August 2016), William Cook, King, York County, Canada West (Ontario), Canada; citing p. 101, line 45; Library and Archives Canada film number C_11760, Public Archives, Ontario.
• "Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XR2Y-V97 : 3 June 2016), Wm. P. Cook for Alfred Cook and Amanda Melinda Blood, 14 Aug 1873; citing Stockbridge, Calumet, Wisconsin, United States, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison; FHL microfilm 1,275,829.
• "Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911"Indexed Information–Name: Wm. P. Cook; Son: James Cook; Other information in the record of James Cook and Helen A. Bennett from Wisconsin, County Marriages…Name: James Cook; Marriage; Date: 11 Apr 1866; Stockbridge, Calumet County, Wisconsin, United States; Birthplace: Canada Father's Name: Wm. P. Cook; Spouse's Name: Helen A. Bennett; Spouse's Gender: Female; Spouse's Father's Name: Rufus S. Bennett; Citation: "Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XR2Y-635 : 3 June 2016), Wm. P. Cook for James Cook and Helen A. Bennett, 11 Apr 1866; citing Stockbridge, Calumet, Wisconsin, United States, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison; FHL microfilm 1,275,829.
• "Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XR2Y-6FD : 3 June 2016), William P. Cook for Isaac Palmer Drake and Sarah Jane Cook, 05 Jun 1862; citing Stockbridge, Calumet, Wisconsin, United States, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison; FHL microfilm 1,275,829.
• "District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1961," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV37-R4WP : accessed 19 June 2020), <UNKNOWN>for Watson H. Cook, 26 Feb 1929, District of Columbia, United States; citing reference ID 319241, District Records Center, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,116,044.
• "District of Columbia Deaths and Burials, 1840-1964", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7B3-FRJ : 16 January 2020), <UNKNOWN> for Watson H. Cook, 1929.