Job Adams Cooper
Encyclopedia
Job Adams Cooper was a U.S. Republican Party
politician. He served as the sixth Governor of the State of Colorado from 1889 to 1891.
, to Charles and Maria Hadley Cooper, one of seven children. The future Governor attended Knox College
in Galesburg, Illinois
, but took a leave of absence to fight in the American Civil War
for the Union Army
. Cooper enlisted as a sergeant in the 137th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was stationed in Memphis, Tennessee
, during the Confederate raid on the city by troopers under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest
. Following the war, he returned to complete his studies. Upon graduation from Knox College in 1867, he returned to his hometown of Greenville and was admitted to practice law in Illinois
. That same year, he married Jane O. Barnes, the daughter of a prominent minister, and they had four children together. Leaving his family behind in 1872, he accompanied A. C. Phelps on a westward journey hoping to find entrepreneurial opportunities, and eventually settled in Denver, Colorado
, where they started the law firm of Phelps and Cooper. In between 1872 and 1888, Cooper expanded his business interests to include insurance
, bank
ing, mining
, and the cattle
industry.
editor Thomas MacDonald Patterson
. Following his inauguration as the state's sixth Governor in January, 1889, he signed legislation that created thirteen new counties, including: Baca
, Cheyenne
, Kiowa
, Kit Carson
, Lincoln
, Montezuma
, Morgan
, Otero
, Phillips
, Prowers
, Rio Blanco
, Sedgwick
, and Yuma
. Furthermore, he opened a state orphans home
in Denver and a state reformatory
in Chaffee County
.
. He died at the relatively young age of 55 and is buried in Block 24 of Denver's Fairmount Cemetery
.
He was survived by at least one child, a daughter, Mary Louisa Cooper, wife of geologist and railroadman, Lucius Seymour Storrs
. The Storrs had two children, Lucius Seymour Storrs, Jr., and Margaret Storrs Grierson
.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician. He served as the sixth Governor of the State of Colorado from 1889 to 1891.
Early life
Job Adams Cooper was born in Greenville, IllinoisGreenville, Illinois
Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The estimated population as of July 2009 is 7,284. The population was 6,955 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bond County....
, to Charles and Maria Hadley Cooper, one of seven children. The future Governor attended Knox College
Knox College, Illinois
Knox College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Galesburg, Illinois. Knox is classified as a more selective institution by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is ranked 75th among liberal arts colleges by the 2011 edition of America's Best...
in Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County....
, but took a leave of absence to fight in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. Cooper enlisted as a sergeant in the 137th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was stationed in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, during the Confederate raid on the city by troopers under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...
. Following the war, he returned to complete his studies. Upon graduation from Knox College in 1867, he returned to his hometown of Greenville and was admitted to practice law in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. That same year, he married Jane O. Barnes, the daughter of a prominent minister, and they had four children together. Leaving his family behind in 1872, he accompanied A. C. Phelps on a westward journey hoping to find entrepreneurial opportunities, and eventually settled in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, where they started the law firm of Phelps and Cooper. In between 1872 and 1888, Cooper expanded his business interests to include insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
, bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
ing, mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, and the cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
industry.
Governor of Colorado
In 1888, Cooper was nominated for Governor, and went on to defeat Rocky Mountain NewsRocky Mountain News
The Rocky Mountain News was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As of March 2006, the Monday-Friday circulation was 255,427...
editor Thomas MacDonald Patterson
Thomas MacDonald Patterson
Thomas MacDonald Patterson was an American politician and newspaper publisher from the 1870s through the 1910s.-Biography:...
. Following his inauguration as the state's sixth Governor in January, 1889, he signed legislation that created thirteen new counties, including: Baca
Baca County, Colorado
Baca County is the southeasternmost of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 4,517 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Springfield.- History :...
, Cheyenne
Cheyenne County, Colorado
Cheyenne County is the fifth least densely populated of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 2,231 at U.S. Census 2000...
, Kiowa
Kiowa County, Colorado
Kiowa County is the second least densely populated of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 1,622 at the 2000 census. The county seat is Eads...
, Kit Carson
Kit Carson County, Colorado
Kit Carson County is the 18th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 8,011 at U.S. Census 2000. The county was named for Kit Carson...
, Lincoln
Lincoln County, Colorado
Lincoln County is the tenth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 6,087 at U.S. Census 2000...
, Montezuma
Montezuma County, Colorado
Montezuma County is the southwesternmost of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 23,830 at U.S. Census 2000...
, Morgan
Morgan County, Colorado
Morgan County is the 18th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named after old Fort Morgan, which in turn was named in honor of Colonel Christopher A. Morgan. The county population was 27,171 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the...
, Otero
Otero County, Colorado
Otero County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named for Miguel Antonio Otero, one of the founders of the town of La Junta and a member of a prominent Hispanic family. The county population was 20,311 at U.S. Census 2000...
, Phillips
Phillips County, Colorado
Phillips County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named in honor of R.O. Phillips, a secretary of the Lincoln Land Company, who organized several towns in Colorado. The county population was 4,480 at U.S. Census 2000...
, Prowers
Prowers County, Colorado
Prowers County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of John W. Prowers, a leading pioneer in the lower Arkansas valley region. The county population was 14,483 at U.S. Census 2000...
, Rio Blanco
Rio Blanco County, Colorado
Rio Blanco County is the sixth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 5,986 at U.S. Census 2000. The name of the county is the Spanish language name for the White River which runs through it...
, Sedgwick
Sedgwick County, Colorado
Sedgwick County is the northeasternmost of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county was named for Fort Sedgwick, a military post along the Platte Trail, which was named for General John Sedgwick. The county population was 2,379 at U.S. 2010 Census...
, and Yuma
Yuma County, Colorado
Yuma County is the 14th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 9,841 at U.S. Census 2000...
. Furthermore, he opened a state orphans home
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
in Denver and a state reformatory
Reformatory
Reformatory is a term that has had varied meanings within the penal system, depending on the jurisdiction and the era. It may refer to a youth detention center, or an adult correctional facility. The term is still in popular use for adult facilities throughout the United States, although most...
in Chaffee County
Chaffee County, Colorado
Chaffee County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 16,242 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Salida.-History:...
.
Retirement
Cooper declined to seek reelection in 1890, and returned to his law practice. He later formed a construction business and built Denver's Cooper Building, which is considered an architectural gem to this day. From 1893 to 1897, he served as President of the local Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
. He died at the relatively young age of 55 and is buried in Block 24 of Denver's Fairmount Cemetery
Fairmount Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado was founded in 1890 and is Denver's second oldest operating cemetery after Riverside Cemetery. It was designed by German landscape architect Reinhard Schuetze...
.
He was survived by at least one child, a daughter, Mary Louisa Cooper, wife of geologist and railroadman, Lucius Seymour Storrs
Lucius Seymour Storrs
Lucius Seymour Storrs was a geologist, financier, and notable railway official. He was president of the Connecticut Company, the American Electric Railway Association, the Los Angeles Railway Association, and the New England Investment and Security Company.-Personal life:Storrs was born in...
. The Storrs had two children, Lucius Seymour Storrs, Jr., and Margaret Storrs Grierson
Margaret Storrs Grierson
Margaret Storrs Grierson , archivist and philosophy professor, was the founder and first director of the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College. In this capacity, she traveled extensively, in the United States and abroad, assembling manuscripts that document the history of women.-Personal...
.