Posted FYI: From: The Oregonian (2/5/1895) Amos Cook Amos Cook, one of Oregon's earliest pioneers, who had lived in Yamhill County since 1840, died at his home near Lafayette on Sunday night, February 3, at eleven-thirty o'clock. He was born in Washington County, Maine, January 8, 1816. Like so many other young men of New England, he pushed out for the west, and in 1838, was at Peoria, Illinois. In the early winter of that year, the Reverend Jason Lee, who had just returned across the plains from Oregon, delivered a lecture on Oregon at Peoria. The lecture attracted the attention of a number of young men who, having no ties, and without other means or resources than their own adventurous spirits, resolved to go to Oregon. They were able to get together but a very slender outfit and were late in starting, but finally got off in May, 1838, and proceeded to Independence, on the Missouri River. Before starting, they proceeded to the door of the courthouse at Peoria, and having pledged themselves, never to desert each other, they unfurled a flag on which was inscribed, "Oregon or the Grave," and declared their intention, upon reaching the Columbia river, to take possession of the most eligible points and make settlements. Of this party, Amos Cook has been the last survivor. The party, however, did not hold together. At some distance out on the plains, there was a separation. Sidney Smith, while drawing his rifle out from under a pile of packsaddles, accidentally discharged it, wounding himself badly, and this occasioned delay. The part with which Cook remained got no farther than Green River, in Wyoming, that year. It passed the winter at the place known as Brown's Hold, on that stream, and lived on buffalo meat. Buffalo were plenty throughout the winter, and the gall bladder of the animal furnished a piquant sauce for the meat. Early in the following spring the party came on and, passing down the Columbia River, reached Vancouver in May, 1840. Just as they reached Vancouver, the vessel bearing the Reverend Josiah L. Parrish and his family arrived from the Atlantic via Honolulu; and thus an overland party and a sea party of Americans met in this remote country, fifty-fife years ago. Amos Cook and Francis Fletcher were close friends a! nd remained together. Cook, at this time was a youth of twenty-four; Fletcher was slightly older. Together they went to Yamhill and settled down as farmers. They were men of thrift and energy, and became prosperous. Each mined his own affairs, never seeking political place. Sidney Smith, another of the party, also settled in Yamhill County. After some years, Cook went into mercantile business at Lafayette, erected some important buildings, and became known as an active and enterprising man. Subsequently he returned to his farm, and in 1853, married Mary Frances Scott, who with four daughters, survives him. There were no American settlers in Yamhill before Cook and Fletcher went there. We now recall but two persons surviving in Oregon who came before them, namely the widow of the Reverent Elkanah Walker, of Washington County, who came in 1838, and the Reverent J. S. Griffin, also of Washington County, who came in 1839. Amos Cook was a substantial and worthy man, a typical pioneer, a man of great energy and steadfastness, strictly honorable, of calculating industry and always thrifty and prosperous. HE was one of the earnest, though unobtrusive men, to whom Oregon owed much at the beginning. He came with the earliest migration, with that "first low wash of waves," to the country, where now rolls this ever-increasing human sea. He did all his work well, as he saw it or knew it, and though he made no parade of it, yet, in its results, it will abide as a permanent force in the life of Oregon. His body will be buried to-day in the Scott burial ground, near Forest Grove. (end) Be well & God bless, Kate Beaugrand Cook Minnesota List Adm. (for [email protected]) [email protected] or [email protected] ><> God bless America! <><

Further FYI: 1880 Lafayette, Yamhill, Oregon, FHL Film 1255084 National Archives Film T9-1084 Page 423A, Amos COOK Self M M W 64 ME Occ: Farmer Fa: ME Mo: ME Mary F. COOK Wife F M W 47 IL Occ: Housewife Fa: KY Mo: KY Agnes Boct COOK Dau F S W 20 OR Occ: At Home Teacher Fa: ME Mo: IL Maud COOK Dau F S W 14 OR Occ: At Home Fa: ME Mo: IL Pearl COOK Dau F S W 6 OR Occ: At Home Fa: ME Mo: IL. At 08:43 AM 3/27/2002 -0600, K. B. Cook wrote: >Posted FYI: > >From: The Oregonian (2/5/1895) Amos Cook > Amos Cook, one of Oregon's earliest pioneers, who had lived in > Yamhill County since 1840, died at his home near Lafayette on Sunday > night, February 3, at eleven-thirty o'clock. He was born in Washington > County, Maine, January 8, 1816. Like so many other young men of New > England, he pushed out for the west, and in 1838, was at Peoria, > Illinois. In the early winter of that year, the Reverend Jason Lee, who > had just returned across the plains from Oregon, delivered a lecture on > Oregon at Peoria. The lecture attracted the attention of a number of > young men who, having no ties, and without other means or resources than > their own adventurous spirits, resolved to go to Oregon. They were able > to get together but a very slender outfit and were late in starting, but > finally got off in May, 1838, and proceeded to Independence, on the > Missouri River. > Before starting, they proceeded to the door of the courthouse at > Peoria, and having pledged themselves, never to desert each other, they > unfurled a flag on which was inscribed, "Oregon or the Grave," and > declared their intention, upon reaching the Columbia river, to take > possession of the most eligible points and make settlements. Of this > party, Amos Cook has been the last survivor. > The party, however, did not hold together. At some distance out on > the plains, there was a separation. Sidney Smith, while drawing his rifle > out from under a pile of packsaddles, accidentally discharged it, > wounding himself badly, and this occasioned delay. The part with which > Cook remained got no farther than Green River, in Wyoming, that year. It > passed the winter at the place known as Brown's Hold, on that stream, and > lived on buffalo meat. Buffalo were plenty throughout the winter, and > the gall bladder of the animal furnished a piquant sauce for the > meat. Early in the following spring the party came on and, passing down > the Columbia River, reached Vancouver in May, 1840. Just as they reached > Vancouver, the vessel bearing the Reverend Josiah L. Parrish and his > family arrived from the Atlantic via Honolulu; and thus an overland party > and a sea party of Americans met in this remote country, fifty-fife years > ago. Amos Cook and Francis Fletcher were close friends a! >nd remained together. Cook, at this time was a youth of twenty-four; >Fletcher was slightly older. Together they went to Yamhill and settled >down as farmers. They were men of thrift and energy, and became >prosperous. Each mined his own affairs, never seeking political >place. Sidney Smith, another of the party, also settled in Yamhill County. > After some years, Cook went into mercantile business at Lafayette, > erected some important buildings, and became known as an active and > enterprising man. Subsequently he returned to his farm, and in 1853, > married Mary Frances Scott, who with four daughters, survives him. There > were no American settlers in Yamhill before Cook and Fletcher went > there. We now recall but two persons surviving in Oregon who came before > them, namely the widow of the Reverent Elkanah Walker, of Washington > County, who came in 1838, and the Reverent J. S. Griffin, also of > Washington County, who came in 1839. > Amos Cook was a substantial and worthy man, a typical pioneer, a man > of great energy and steadfastness, strictly honorable, of calculating > industry and always thrifty and prosperous. HE was one of the earnest, > though unobtrusive men, to whom Oregon owed much at the beginning. He > came with the earliest migration, with that "first low wash of waves," to > the country, where now rolls this ever-increasing human sea. He did all > his work well, as he saw it or knew it, and though he made no parade of > it, yet, in its results, it will abide as a permanent force in the life > of Oregon. His body will be buried to-day in the Scott burial ground, > near Forest Grove. (end) > >Be well & God bless, >Kate Beaugrand Cook >Minnesota >List Adm. (for [email protected]) >[email protected] >or >[email protected] > ><> God bless America! <>< > > >==== COOK Mailing List ==== >This is our Cook Cooke Koch archives at Rootsweb. >http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, >go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237