Isaac Cook

Background

Isaac Cook was born on July 04, 1810 at Long Branch, New Jersey, United States. His father, Stephen Cook, a Quaker farmer, was a Tory during the Revolution. His mother was the daughter of Daniel Denniston, a patriot of some military note.

Career

Before Cook was twenty, he had served several years in a New York mercantile establishment. With a small amount of capital in hand he went to Chicago about 1834. He invested his money in the Rialto, a boarding-house with saloon attached, on North Dearborn St. As his capital grew he kept it invested in city property and he soon became well-to-do. He became identified with the Democratic politics of the city and state, and from 1838 he was one of Senator Douglas’s foremost lieutenants. He was favored by the party: in 1844 he was made agent of the canal lands; he served Cook County four years as sheriff and a like term as treasurer.

In 1854 he had a hand in founding the Chicago Daily Times, a paper which came to the defense of Douglas when other Democratic papers were repudiating him for his part in the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. Cook was appointed postmaster in March 1855 by President Pierce. He was succeeded by William Price shortly after the inauguration of Buchanan. When the break came between Douglas and the administration in 1858, Cook supported President Buchanan. He was reappointed postmaster on March 9, 1858. In May he was associated with others in the founding of the Daily Chicago Herald in opposition to the Times, the Douglas organ.

In 1860 rival Democratic conventions were held in the state for choosing delegates to the Charleston convention. The so-called “Danite” faction, led by Cook, repudiated Douglas and the Freeport doctrine, and upheld the Dred Scott decision and Buchanan’s stand on Kansas. A delegation, headed by Cook, went to Charleston, but Douglas prevented their being seated. Cook took up the cause of Breckinridge in the election of 1860. Lincoln’s victory in that election brought an end to Cook’s career as a politician.

Cook’s business interests were highly successful. In 1853 he built the Young American Hotel (later the Revere House) at the corner of Dearborn and Randolph Sts. This was the first five- story brick building in the city. For a time he was assistant treasurer of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. In 1859 he became president of the American Wine Company of St. Louis, and in 1861 removed to that city. Extensive vineyards in northern Ohio were owned by the Cook interests. His name was given to a variety of wine grape developed through his selection. He was a connoisseur of wines and maintained that his vintages did not suffer by comparison with the more famous European wines. He continued in the direction of the wine interests until his death at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in 1886.

Achievements

• Isaac Cook became prominent for establishing the well-known American Wine Company. Under his energetic direction, the company attained a leading place in the wine industry of the country. He was also the founder of the periodicals, Chicago Daily Times and Daily Chicago Herald.

Connections

Cook’s wife was Harriet Norton of English parentage. They had three children, one of whom carried on the business of the American Wine Company.

Father:

Stephen Cook

Spouse:

Daniel Denniston

Grandfather:

Daniel Denniston

References

• New Jersey Biographical Dictionary