The Cooke family in North Dakota
In the 1890's work
became scarce in the Gaspe. Men started moving to the United States for
employment. One favourite location was Stillwater, Minnesota. Stillwater
is located about 15 miles north east of the twin cities of St. Paul and
Minneapolis. Men were able to find jobs here in the lumber industry.
My great grandfather,Arthur
Cooke's eldest brother James Alfred Cooke went to North Dakota. Another
brother, William Ernest or W.E. went to Stillwater,Minnisota,a suburb of Minniapolis. He met and married
Eliza Helen Krueger in Stillwater in 1893. Around 1900 W.E. moved to the
new railroad town of Harvey, North Dakota. He soon became instrumental
in building this settlement and is regarded by historians as "the father
of Harvey".
In 1900, he built the Cooke Hotel
in Harvey, located on the north end of main street, Lincoln Ave.,on the
west side of North Lincoln.The hotel was the scene for many dances and
dinners in the community.Railroad passengers disembarked the train in Harvey
for the night and stayed at the Cooke Hotel. They would continue their
journey in the morning.
In 1906, the hotel was sold to L.B. Molander.
W.E., as he was known, did not confine
himself to the hotel trade. He also purchased a lumber yard in Anamoose,another
in Kaslo ,British Columbia, and built several homes and business properties
in Harvey. He was involved in the Chamber of Comerce,the Shrine Club and
sat on the Board of Trustees for the local school board.
W.E. died under mysterious circumstances
in 1941. He was in Fesseden, a town near Harvey. He was found lying on
the sidewalk unconscious. It is not known if he was hit by a train or by
a car as he never came out of it. His widow Eliza remained in Harvey but
went to Stillwater in the winters. She eventually sold her house and moved
to Minniapolis and then back to Stillwater where she died in 1968.
The Cooke Hotel in Harvey circa 1905