Frederick Cook (politician)

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Frederick Cook (born December 2, 1833 in Bad Wildbad , Kingdom of Württemberg , † February 17, 1905 in Rochester , New York ) was an American businessman and politician ( Democratic Party ). He was Secretary of State of New York from 1886 to 1890 .

Life

Nothing is known about Frederick Cook's youth. He immigrated to the United States in 1848 and changed his name from Friedrich Kuch to Frederick Cook. At the beginning he lived in Buffalo, New York, where he worked for his brother-in-law, who was a shoemaker. Then he opened his own butcher shop in Batavia (New York). He then became a brakeman on the Buffalo and Rochester Railroad and later a conductor on the New York Central Railroad - a position he held for 20 years. During this time he became wealthy. There is a story about it: Cornelius Vanderbilt once asked him how he could buy huge real estate and live on $ 75  a week. He then replied to him:

"Oh, I makes (sic) my money trading horses with Jockey Mason."

This became a sort of proverb at the time.

Political career

Cook gave up his job with the railroad in 1872 and went into politics. The governor of New York John T. Hoffman appointed him Judge Advocate in the 7th  Division of the National Guard . In 1874 Cook ran for the office of Mayor of Rochester, New York, but suffered a defeat to George G. Clarkson . New York Governor Samuel J. Tilden appointed him Assistant Adjutant General and Chief of Staff in the 7th Division of the National Guard in 1875 . In 1876 he took part as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in St. Louis ( Missouri ). He was elected Secretary of State of New York in 1885 and re-elected in 1887.

Entrepreneur

In 1892 he sued the Silver Lake Ice Company , attempting to base his claim on the fact that he owned Silver Lake in Wyoming County, New York.

He was the president of the Rochester German Insurance Company, the German-American Bank of Rochester, the Rochester Driving Park Association, the Rochester Telephone Company, and the Rochester Street Car Company. He was also vice president of Bartholomay Brewing Company and had interests in many other companies.

Cook was married twice and had one daughter. He died of a stroke.

literature

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