COOK: Of Geary District.
Barnabas Snow Cook was first of this family name who made a home in this county; he came shortly before the Civil War. He was born in Kanawha County, western Virginia, June 10, 1832, son of Rev. Barnabas Cook and Christianna (McCune) Cook, his wife, he was a pioneer of Kanawha County, coming to Kanawha from New England. Barnabas Cook, Sr., served as a justice of the peace of Kanawha County, one term as its sheriff, and used much time preaching the Christian gospel over a period of twenty-five years; the marriage records of Kanawha of that period are strewn with his name and reports of marriages. The History of Calhoun County shows that he and Lorenzo Dow preached at Arnoldsburg in the year 1820. He reared five sons: Barnabas Snow, Peter M., Simeon,Timothy and Saul; all served as soldiers on the side of the Union in the War of the Secessions; only Barnabas Snow and Peter M. Cook, of this family ever made their homes in Roane.
Barnabas Snow Cook united in marriage with Sarah J. Truman, September 7, 1851; she was also born in Kanawha County; they lived first in Calhoun County, later in the Town of Spencer, where he plied his trade of shoe and boot maker; at that time owned an acre lot lying on the west side of Market Street, cornering on Market and Beauty Streets, thence southward, and included the part now the Presbyterian Church lot. To Barnabas Snow and Sarah J., his wife were born ten children; their names: Caroline, 1853; Ellen, 1855; Bennett, 1857; Columbus, 1860; Barnabas (III); Ulysses G., 1866; Edwin M., 1868; Everett, 1871; Savannah, 1873 and George W.
Caroline married Ephraim Sergent, 1878.
Bennett married Sarah Sergent, 1880.
Columbus married Melissa Sergent, 1883.
George W. married Rachel J. Kiser, July 23, 1883.
Savannah married Harvey R. Carper, May 16, 1888, her age 16, his age 30; Barnabas married Mary J. Nida, January 6, 1887, his age 24, her age 18; Ulysses G. married Alice J. Nida, July 12, 1888, his age 30, her age 17; Edwin M. married Elizabeth Shamlin, May 8, 1892, his age 25, her age 17. All these have reared families, some of them large ones.
Source: History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927, William H. Bishop, Esq., p. 482
Submitter: Sandy Spradling, November 28, 1999
