James M. Cook

For other people named James Cook, see James Cook (disambiguation).

James Merrill Cook (November 19, 1807 in Ballston, Saratoga County, New York – April 12, 1868 in Saratoga, New York) was an American businessman, banker and politician.

James M. Cook
portrait by Nelson Cook
New York State Treasurer
In office 1852
Governor	Washington Hunt
Preceded by	Alvah Hunt
Succeeded by	Benjamin Welch, Jr.
New York State Comptroller
In office 1854–1855
Governor	Horatio Seymour Myron H. Clark
Preceded by	John C. Wright
Succeeded by	Lorenzo Burrows
Member of the New York State Senate from the 15th District
In office 1864–1865
Preceded by	William Clark
Succeeded by	Adam W. Kline
Member of the New York State Senate from the 13th District
In office 1848–1851
Preceded by	new district
Succeeded by	Dan S. Wright
President of the Village of Ballston Spa, New York
In office 1842–1843 & 1845
Personal details
Spouse	Anna Cady

Career

From 1838 to 1856, he was the first President of the Ballston Spa Bank (later Ballston Spa National Bank) and also was the owner of cotton mills at Ballston Spa.

In 1842, 1843 and 1845, he was President of the Village of Ballston Spa. He was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1846.

He was a member of the New York State Senate (13th D.) from 1848 to 1851, sitting in the 71st, 72nd, 73rd, 74th New York State Legislatures.

At the state election in November 1851, he was elected New York State Treasurer on the Whig ticket by a margin of only 228 votes (200,693 for Cook; 200,465 for Welch), and took office on January 1, 1852. His Democratic opponent Benjamin Welch, Jr. contested the election successfully, and on November 20, 1852, Welch succeeded to the office for the remainder of the term.

He was New York State Comptroller from 1854 to 1855, defeated for re-election in 1855 by the American Party candidate Lorenzo Burrows.

From 1856 to 1861, he was Superintendent of the New York State Banking Department. He was again a member of the State Senate (15th D.) in 1864 and 1865.

Personal life

 

Portrait of his wife, Anna Cady by Nelson Cook, 1840, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Cook was married to Anna Cady. Their daughter, Catherine Phillips Cook married George Sherman Batcheller.

Cook is buried in the Ballston Spa Village Cemetery.

Sources

• [1] Official state canvass, in NYT on January 1, 1852
• [2] Political Graveyard
• [3] History of Saratoga County, New York by Nathaniel Bartlett Sylvester (1878)
• Google Books The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 34, 36, 39 and 139; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
• [4] The Whig ticket in 1855, in NYT on September 29, 1855
• [5] Re-appointed Bank Superintendent, in NYT on January 13, 1859

External links

• James M. Cook at Find a Grave

New York State Senate
Preceded by new district	New York State Senate 13th District 1848–1851	Succeeded by Dan S. Wright
Political offices
Preceded by Alvah Hunt	New York State Treasurer 1852	Succeeded by Benjamin Welch, Jr.
Preceded by John C. Wright	New York State Comptroller 1854–1855	Succeeded by Lorenzo Burrows
New York State Senate
Preceded by William Clark	New York State Senate 15th District 1864–1865	Succeeded by Adam W. Kline