[p. 408] of Little Beaver Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, has a farm of fifty-five acres located in the southern part of the township, along the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad and is engaged in farming and dairying. He was born on his present farm October 3, 1838, and is a son of James and Jane (Wallace) Cook.
James Cook was born in Ireland, and was fourteen years of age when brought to this country by his parents, who first located east of Pittsburg. They subsequently moved to Lawrence County and became owners of 150 acres of timber land in Little Beaver Township, a part of which now forms the farm of Renwick Cook. Both of the grandparents died on this place at advanced ages. James Cook assisted in clearing the home place, only nine acres of it being cleared at the time it was acquired, and there he grew to maturity. He was a mechanical genius and successfully prosecuted various trades at different times, including carpentering, blacksmithing and stone masonry, but the greater part of his time was spent in agricultural pursuits. With his sister, Jane, wife of William McClaren, he inherited the home place and for some years he lived in the old log house on the farm, a two-story structure, but later he erected the brick residence which now stands on the place. He died in 1871, at the age of eighty-four years, and his widow died in 1876, at the age of eighty-four years. They were parents of twelve children, as follows: William, John, Benjamin, James, Mary Ann, who was the wife of A. Ewing; Daniel, Eleanor W., wife of W. Cochran; David, Margaret, Robert, Sarah Jane and Renwick. The two youngest are the only ones living. Sarah Jane is the widow of James Haggerty, who died May 30, 1895, at the age of seventy-two years. She makes her home with her brother Renwick.
Renwick Cook was born in the log house which originally stood on the home place, and attended the district schools of that vicinity, receiving a fair schooling. He has never lived elsewhere than on this farm and has always engaged in agricultural pursuits. He has made a specialty of dairying, in which he has met with much success.
January 18, 1867, Mr. Cook was united in marriage with Henrietta McGinnins, who died October 17, 1871, leaving a son, Allen R., who is now an engineer in the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The latter married Mary Lindsay and they have five children: Henrietta, Wilson, Allen, Robert and Renwick. Mr. Cook formed a second marriage June 19, 1873, with Miss Jennie E. McAnlis, a daughter of Robert and Jane (Patterson) McAnlis, concerning whom may be found the facts in detail in the record of James McAnlis. Two children were born of this marriage: Iva Dell, wife of Myron B. Heck, of West Pittsburg, by whom she has a daughter, Mabel Ruth, and Margaret. In religious attachment, the family belongs to the Reformed Presbyterian Church.
20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908
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Updated: 16 Oct 2001