Thomas Cook, son of Elijah and Samantha Powell Cook, was born in Bibb County, Georgia, January 1, 1870. When he was quite young his family moved to Pulaski County and later to Dodge County, where he attended school at Dubois until he was ten years of age.
His family then moved to Cochran, where he was taught by Professor Morgan Wynne and Professor R. C. Sanders until he entered New Ebenezer College at Cochran. His first business experience was as clerk for Mr. J. J. Taylor, who operated a general merchandise and supply store at Cochran. He was associated with his father in the livery business from 1888 to 1898. From 1898 to 1906 he was engaged in the mercantile business at Cochran. ‘On November 22, 1896, he married Maria Watkins, daughter of J. J. and Maria Grace Watkins of Pulaski County. After the death of Mrs. Cook’s father on December 31, 1905, Mr. Cook, associated with his wife’s family, operated the Watkins farm, which he bought one year later. He has developed this place, which is located four miles west of Hawkinsville, into one of the best farms in the State. He also has extensive farming interests in Bleckley County. He has cooperated with the county agents in cotton and corn club contests and won a prize in a State-wide contest for corn. For several years he has made demonstration crops for the Agricultural College at Athens and Experiment Station at Experiment, Ga., for the best fertilizer to be used, and for the most satisfactory variety of cotton to be planted in this section.
Mr. Cook united with the Cochran Baptist Church when a young man and was a deacon of that church for several years before he moved his membership to the Hawkinsville Baptist Church, of which church he has been deacon for four years. He was director of the Pulaski Fair Association for several years, and has the distinction of having won first prize on his farm exhibit every year of the fair except one, when jury duty prevented his entrance. He invariably won first prizes for individual exhibits. He has been a member of the Pulaski County Board of Education for many years and is chairman of the county committee of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration. By thrift, honesty, industry, and scientific farming, Tom Cook has become one of the most prosperous farmers of this section of the State. Mr. Cook is a continuous worker who always finds time to serve his church and county, to both of which causes he gives generously.
Mrs. Cook, born May 18, 1874, was taught by a governess and later attended the Hawkinsville public schools, where she was taught by Professor G. R. Glover. She received her college education at G. S. C. W. at Milledgeville, Ga. The fine traits of Mr. Cook’s character are matched by those of his wife, making this couple an example of a type of family which is the foundation of Pulaski County.