HENRY COOK was born in New Bremen, Aug. 6th. 1835. His father, William Cook was born in Westphalia, Germany, in 1810. He became a carpenter in his youth, and after marriage he sailed for America with his bride, to build up a home in this country, where he deemed he could better his fortunes. He landed at Baltimore, and came directly to Ohio, making his way hither on foot in company with a colony. He and his fellow travelers sought work in Cincinnati, and not being successful, continued northward along the route of the Miami and Erie canal that had just been surveyed. They finally arrived at New Bremen, and from there went to Fort Wayne, Indiana, before employment was found. Six months later, Mr. Cook returned to New Bremen, and was one of the first to locate there. He worked on the locks and did other work about the canal until it was completed. About that time he removed to Washington township, and settled on land that he purchased of his father-in-law, who had just come over from Germany. That land was bought of the Government at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, and was in the midst of a country that was all new. Deer were so plentiful that they frequently came into the yard, and sometimes were shot from an open window. Wolves were numerous, and many a night the slumbers of the tired pioneers were disturbed by their howls. Indians were frequent passers. They were remnants of tribes that went west in 1832.
Mr. Cook was a sincere Christian, who clung to the faith of his fathers, and was one of the organizers of the Lutheran Reformed society in this part of the country. Elizabeth Fledderjohann was the maiden name of his first wife, who died in 1850, leaving five children, of whom our subject is the eldest. The father married Elizabeth Burnsman for his second wife, by whom he had eight children, of whom five are living.
Henry Cook did not have very good school advantages in his younger days, as schools, which were taught on the subscription plan, were only open one or two months a year. They were held in crude log buildings, and had furniture of the roughest description, slabs serving as seats, and a board placed against the wall was the only desk for the scholars to write upon. Our subject helped his father clear his farm until he was fifteen years old, and then began to learn the carpenter trade. He worked with his father, who was a skilled mechanic, and was the only carpenter in the locality at the time. His father used to take contracts, and after our subject had thoroughly mastered the trade, he did the work. He continued thus engaged for fifteen years, during which time he put up a number of buildings in the vicinity, which are still standing.
When he abandoned carpentering, he entered the mercantile business with his father-in-law,Henry Venneman at New Knoxville. After Mr. Venneman's death in 1882,Mr. Cook took entire control of the business, and has been carrying it on since that time. He has a general store, in which may be found dry goods of every description, besides groceries, boots and shoes, and everything that is usually sold in such a store. In 1901, he and his son,Benjamin, erected a large brick building in which they are conducting a lucrative business at the present time. Besides this valuable property, he has a quarter section of land in Washington township and eighty acres in Van Buren township in Shelby county. He was appointed to the postmastership of the village soon after Abraham Lincoln was elected to the Presidency, and has held the office ever since, excepting when Cleveland was in the Presidential chair, and discharged the duties incumbent upon him in a manner entirely satisfactory to all concerned. He is a staunch Republican in politics. He has held responsible public offices, and was treasurer of Washington township eight years. Both he and his wife are among the most valued members of the Lutheran Reformed Church, and they stand high in the estimation of the entire community.
Mr. Cook was married in 1860 to Miss Elizabeth Venneman, who is of German birth but has passed the most of her life in this country, whither she came with her parents when eighteen months old. Her father located on a farm just north of New Knoxville; cleared and improved his land, and he also engaged in keeping store with our subject seven years.Mr. and Mrs. Cook have three children living: Sarah, Benjamin and Elizabeth. Their two eldest died.
(From Portrait and Biographical record.)
Source: History of Western Ohio & Auglaize County -by C. W. Williamson - Columbus, Ohio - Press of W. M. Linn & Sons - 1905 - Page 774
NOTE: The Venneman/Cook store was located in a large frame building which was located at 101 North Main Street. Henry Cook operated the Post Office in this building from 1865 to 1885 and again from 1887 to 1893. The large brick building the Cooks built across the street at 100 North Main was the building known then as Ben Cook’s general store and which later came to be known as Adolph’s. The old frame building was eventually moved from 101 North Main Street to 307 West German Street, and it is used for apartments.