Commodore F. Cool

COMMODORE F. COOL, one of the substantial citizens of Columbus, a member of the Logan Abstract & Loan Company of this city, was born in McLean County, Illinois, and is a son of H. and Esther (Haner) Cool.

The father of Mr. Cool was born in West Virginia and moved in 1856 to Illinois, where he followed farming until 1870. Then he moved to Cherokee County, Kansas, and secured a farm in Lyon township. He died in the fall in 1896. He had served justice of the peace and on school boards, and had been active in political affairs. The mother of Mr. Cool was born in Illinois, and died in Cherokee County, Kansas, in 1884. The children, besides the subject of this sketch, are,—J. W., a farmer in Lyon township, Cherokee County; Mrs. R. D. Oliver, of Webb City, Missouri; Mrs. Tom Murphy, of Meade County, Kansas; J. E., of Salida, Colorado; and Clarence, of San Francisco, California.

Commodore F. Cool remained at home until he attained his majority. His early life, from the age of seven years until that of 22, was mainly devoted to maintaing himself and laying a foundation for a very liberal education. At the age of 22 years he attended the Quaker Academy for a month, and was a pupil later at Fort Scott, teaching in the meantime, and thus providing himself with funds, so that in 1889 he was graduated with the degrees of B. A., and B. O., at the Kansas State Normal School at Fort Scott, and in 1893 at Emporia he secured a life certificate. The accomplishment of this desire meant a great deal, for it was secured entirely through his own unassisted efforts, and indicated a perseverance and concentration which will be winning factors through his later life in the business world. He continued in the educational field, serving as principal of the Humboldt High School, then as superintendent of the Scammon schools and then from 1897 to 1901, as county superintendent of schools. In the fall of the latter year he resigned the position to become a teacher of elocution, oratory and English in the Cherokee County High School. In June, 1903, Mr. Cool entered into partnership with J. Wilbur Logan, forming the Logan Abstract & Loan Company, an enterprise which is a leading business institution of the city.

Mr. Cool married Catherine Vincent, who for 12 years previously had been a teacher in the Columbus schools. They have three children,—Christine, Victor Vincent and Courtney Franklin.

The parents of Mrs. Cool, David and Rachel Vincent were early settlers at Columbus, where Mr. Vincent conducted a hotel and restaurant for a number of years. His death occurred some years since, but Mrs. Vincent still survives and is a member of Mr. Cool's family.

Mr. Cool has been identified with educational matters ever since he has resided in Columbus. He was president of the board of trustees of the Cherokee County high school, and had much to do with securing its location and getting it into operation. Formerly he was a Republican, but is now a Populist, having been elected county superintendent on the Fusion ticket. Since the age of 17 years, he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is an active worker in the church, Sunday-school, and Junior League, of which he is now superintendent.

History of Cherokee County Kansas and its representative citizens, ed. & comp. by Nathaniel Thompson Allison, 1904, transcribed by James von Brookner student from USD 508, Baxter Springs Middle School, Baxter Springs, Kansas, 1/13/97.