| State | Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| State senate | Wisconsin |
| District | 1st |
| Term start | January 5, 1857 |
| Term end | January 3, 1859 |
| Predecessor | David Taylor |
| Successor | Robert H. Hotchkiss |
| Order 1 | 3rd |
| Title 1 | Mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin |
| Term start 1 | April 1855 |
| Term end 1 | April 1858 |
| Predecessor 1 | F. R. Townsend |
| Successor 1 | William N. Shafter |
| Office 2 | District Attorney of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin |
| Term start 2 | January 1849 |
| Term end 2 | January 1853 |
| Predecessor 2 | William R. Gorsline |
| Successor 2 | Edward Elwell |
| State 3 | Michigan |
| State senate 3 | Michigan |
| District 3 | 5th |
| Term start 3 | January 1, 1838 |
| Term end 3 | January 6, 1840 |
| Party | Democratic |
| Birth date | December 3, 1805 |
| Birth place | Palatine, New York, U.S. |
| Death date | October 8, 1886 (aged 80) |
| Death place | La Crosse, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse, Wisconsin |
Elijah Fox Cook (December 3, 1805 – October 8, 1886) was an American lawyer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the 3rd mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and represented Sheboygan County for two years in the Wisconsin Senate (1857 & 1858). Before arriving in Wisconsin, he also served two years in the Michigan State Senate (1838 & 1839) and served as a delegate to the constitutional convention which drafted the first Constitution of Michigan in 1835.
Biography
Born in Palatine, New York, Cook moved to Oakland County, Michigan Territory, in 1831. He was admitted to the Michigan bar and practiced law in Farmington, and Pontiac. He served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1835 which drafted the first Constitution of Michigan. He went on to serve in the Michigan State Senate during the 1838 and 1839 sessions of the legislature.[1]
In 1847, Cook moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin Territory, and practiced law. Just after Wisconsin achieved statehood, he was elected to two consecutive terms as district attorney of Sheboygan County, serving from 1849 through 1853.[2]: 106 During these years, he also promoted the Cascade & Lake Michigan Railroad Company, which planned to build a line from Sheboygan to the more inland village of Cascade.[2]: 137
In 1855, he was elected Mayor of Sheboygan, serving until his defeat in the 1858 election.[3] Concurrent to his mayoral term, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate for the 1857 and 1858 sessions, defeating incumbent Republican David Taylor.
Subsequent to his Senate term, Cook moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he practiced law for a few years. In 1862, he moved to Milwaukee. In March 1867, he slipped and broke his leg on a patch of icy sidewalk near his office, sustaining an injury that would leave him dependent on crutches for the rest of his life. He sued the city of Milwaukee for damages. Though he was initially successful in the circuit court, the city appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and had the earlier decision vacated.[4] Cook tried again, resulting in a similar outcome.[5] Years later, Cook broke his leg again at the same place in Milwaukee, resulting in a paralysis of one side of his body that resulted in his retirement from his legal career.[6][7]
After his retirement, he returned to La Crosse, where his daughter still resided. He died at his home in La Crosse in October 1886, at age 80.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Manual for the use of the Twenty-Ninth Legislature of the State of Michigan. Lansing, Michigan: State of Michigan. 1877. pp. 553–555. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ Zillier, Carl (1912). History of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, Past and Present. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. pp. 106, 137, 227. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "Town Elections". The Daily Milwaukee News. April 5, 1855. p. 2. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "cite.case.law/wis/24/270/". June 1869. Retrieved April 18, 2021. – via Case Law Project
- ^ "cite.case.law/wis/27/191/". June 1870. Retrieved April 18, 2021. – via Case Law Project
- ^ "Memoirs". Report of the Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin State Bar Association. Taylor and Gleason, Book and Job Printers. 1901. p. 225. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "Departed Pioneers". Wisconsin State Journal. October 9, 1886. p. 1. Retrieved April 18, 2021. – via Newspapers.com