John P. Cook was an able member of the Scott county bar.  He was a native of the state of New York, having been born in Whitestown, Oneida county, in August, 1817.  At the age of nineteen years he came to Davenport with his father and with him settled on the "Cook farm" within the present western boundary of this city.  At the age of twenty-one he entered the office of his brother, Ebenezer Cook, and in 1842 was admitted to the bar.  The same year he married Eliza A. Rowe, of Pleasant Valley, Scott county.  Prior to this he had lived a few years in Tipton, Cedar county, where he was admitted to the bar, and in 1851 returned to Davenport, where he lived to the day of his death.  Subsequent to his settling here he was elected to congress.  On the breaking up of the whig party he affiliated with the democratic party, the principles of which he labored earnestly to sustain and promulgate, even to the end of his days.  His life had been one great energy and industry.  He was by natural instinct a true western man - a wide awake and thoroughly active pioneer who never saw the time when he cold lay aside the business harness and who apparently neveer wanted to.  As a lawyer he had few superiors and was always a ready, able and alert advocate, and with these qualities were combined energy, tact and industry.  For many years, up to the time of his demise, no law firm in the northwest stood in higher repute than that broken by his death.  But a few months before this took place his brother, Hon. Ebenezer Cook, had been called to his last account and to John P. his brother Ebenezer was most devotedly attached.  They had been together almost constantly from boyhood.  All their business plans were conned over together, neither ever taking an important step without consulting with the other.  His illness was of long duration, but he bore up to the last with the courage of a brave soul.  He died at his residence in Davenport, on the corner of Sixth and Main streets, April 17, 1872. He was one of the founders of the Scott county Pioneer Settlers Association and always took the greatest interest in its gatherings.  No old settler was more missed in their annual social picnics than he.  At the time of his death he was fifty-five years old. Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L