Cyrus E. Cook

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Cyrus E. Cook

Cyrus E. COOK, might also be called the father of Mount Arlington, so closely has he be identified with the beginning and growth of this charming New Jersey town, so generous of effort, time and money in furthering its development, both in the early years of its existence and later. Settling in the region a number of years before the incorporation of Mount Arlington borough, he has witnessed, almost from the beginning, the growing popularity of the eastern shore of Lake Hopatcong as a pleasure resort, and taken an active part in the construction of its most important roads and buildings. He comes of an old South Jersey family, long identified with Burlington county, one of the garden spots of the east, a region of prosperous farms and wealthy farmers, where his father and grandfather were both engaged in that profitable occupation.

His grandfather, John COOK, was a resident of Burlington, Burlington county, and owned and operated a farm in the vicinity, but it was at Mount Holly, the county sat, that Cyrus COOK Sr., our subject’s father, was born September 7, 1802. He was a farmer all his life and was living on a farm at Wrightstown, New Jersey, at the time of his death, July 2, 1856. His wife, Isabella (NURDOCK) COOK, was a native of the quaint town of New Egypt, which has the distinction of standing in three counties, Burlington, Monmouth, and Ocean, New Jersey. She was born there August 25, 1810. Her father, Abraham Murdock, was a resident of the place and died there of rabies while still a young man. Mrs. COOK’s death occurred October 28, 1873. Top Mr. COOK Sr. and his wife were born eight children as follows: Sabilla, deceased; Stratton, deceased; Apollo, deceased; Isabella, deceased; Cyrus E., our subject; William B., now of Spokane, Washington, where he has a business as carpenter and builder; George K., a resident of East Orange, New Jersey, where he also does carpentry business; Joseph, deceased.

Cyrus E. COOK was born December 6, 1841, in the city of Trenton, Mercer county, New Jersey. He attended the district schools for a time, and on the breaking out of the Civil War, enlisted in the federal army and continued his studies there. On August 23, 1861, he was mustered into Company F, First Regiment, New Jersey Cavalry, at Columbus, Burlington county, New Jersey. He was not the only member of his family who fought for the Union cause. His brothers, Apollo and William B., also enlisted, in different companies. Mr. COOK saw the most active kind of service. He was in ninety-seven different engagements, all in the early part of the war, and June 9, 1863, took part in the battle of Brandy Station, during the course of which he was twice wounded. He was also taken prisoner on the same eventful day and thus prevented from taking part in the battle of Gettysburg. After his release, he returned to service, but was again wounded at Reams Station, July 13, 1864, and this time so badly that he did not return to the army, but was mustered out August 14, 1865, the order reaching him while he was still at Ward’s United States Hospital, Newark, New Jersey. Mr. COOK reached the rank of first Sergeant or orderly during the war. His record in the army was an unusual one, and he was never punished or even reprimanded during the time of his service. He suffered much for a considerable period from his wound after his return to private life. During the war, Mr. COOK was obliged to provide for his mother and an invalid brother.

Upon the cessation of hostilities, Mr. COOK returned home and took a position in a mill where his work consisted in running a saw. Not content with the prospect of remaining in this position indefinitely, he continued his studies which had been interrupted, at home and applied himself so assiduously to learning the trade of carpenter, that his employer, a Mr. MOORE, gave him the full pay of a carpenter from the start. After the death of his mother in 1873, Mr. COOK started for himself, selecting New Egypt as the scene of his venture. From here he removed, in 1868, to Elizabeth, Union county, New Jersey, and followed his trade there for seventeen years, and in 1885 he had his attention drawn to Lake Hopatcong and the possibilities of development there. In that year, therefore, he went to Morris county and located on the very spot where he has since built his residence and where he now lives. This was upwards of seven years before the incorporation of Mount Arlington borough, but Mr. COOK had faith in the future of the place, and at once became active in its affairs. In 1887, he purchased the lots which he occupied and built for himself and family a residence there. He engaged in business as builder and contractor, and with the rapid growth of the region built up a very large business and made a reputation for himself, second to none. In 1909 he took into partnership with him George H. BEATTY, (elsewhere mentioned in this work) his son-in-law by virtue of his marriage to Georgia A. COOK, his oldest child. Mr. BEATTY was a builder in Mount Arlington prior to the formation of the partnership with Mr. COOK. Among the largest works accomplished by him was the building of the Hotel Breslin only a year after his arrival and its completion in a year so that it was opened in 1887. The erection of this imposing structure gave a tremendous impetus to the development of the region, and since that time he has built more than 200 buildings of all kinds on the lake. The town has now five hotels and two churches, the Roman Catholic and the Episcopalian, both of which were erected by Mr. COOK in 1888, during the incumbencies of Bishops WIGGER and STARKEY.

Mr. COOK has from the start played an active part in Mount Arlington’s affairs. He was elected a justice of the peace before the incorporation of the borough, and has held that office during the period of five full commissions, over twenty-five years in all, or during the administrations of Governors WERTZ, GRIGGS, MURPHY, STOKES, and FORT. He was one of the incorporators of the borough of Mount Arlington, was made its first clerk and was one of the first trustees of the schools there. The new borough issued $22,000 worth of improvement bonds of which about $6,000 were expended upon the erection of a building to be used for the combined purpose of town hall, post office and school. Nearly $20,000 were expended upon the construction of roads, for which Mr. COOK had the contract, and many of which he turned over to the community for less than they cost him. He now holds the office of recorder of the town of Mount Arlington. Mr. COOK is a Republican in politics and active in his party’s councils. He is also prominent in fraternal circles thereabouts. He has been a member of both branches of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 1872, of Dahlgren Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Elizabeth, since 1869, and past commander of the post for some years, and a member of Musconetcong Lodge, No. 151, F. and A. M., of Stanhope. He was formerly a member of the American Legion of Honor and of the American Protective Union.

Mr. COOK married in 1864, while still in New Egypt, to Lydia FIELDS, daughter of John and Rachel (BLOOMFIELD) FIELDS. Mr. FIELDS was a native of England, who came to this country as a young man and settled at Amboy, New Jersey, and later meeting his wife at Woodbridge in the same state. Both Mr. and Mrs. FIELDS died at over seventy years of age. To Mr. and Mrs. COOK there have been born four children as follows: Georgia A., now Mrs. George H. BEATTY, of Mount Arlington; Rae Bloomfield, assistant postmaster at Mount Arlington; Ulysses W., died at the age of twenty-three at Mount Arlington, New Jersey; Clyde F., who also died at the age of twenty-three years. Mr. COOK’s children were all graduated from the Batton High School of Elizabeth, New Jersey. He and his family are all communicants of the Episcopal church. Mr. COOK, who now holds the office of postmaster of Mount Arlington, has retired from active business, although in the year he withdrew he had five buildings in course of construction, and had had most of the business of the region for the past ten years. Mr. COOK is a distinguished figure in the community and is well known and popular throughout Morris county.

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)