John Cooley was born in Utah, in March 1857, while his parents were on their way to California. His father, George Cooley, is widely and favorably known throughout this county. He arrived in this valley May 11, 1857, and kept a night school for a long time.
The subject of this sketch is an entirely self-made man, his education being such as he could pick up, as it were, on the way; but by personal observation and extensive reading he has surpassed many who have had the best educational advantages. As a businessman he has been eminently successful. He was engaged in the dairy business for eleven years and then sold out to Governor Waterman. He had leased 500 acres, and carried everything that there was any profit in. Four years ago he retired from the dairy business, having made in the time he followed it more clear money perhaps than any other man in the county. During the whole period of eleven years he lost only seventy days. After his retirement he took a pleasure trip to the Sandwich Islands, where he remained three months. His popularity and ability as a citizen is shown by the fact that he was deputy sheriff under John A. Cole in 1887-’88. Be belongs to the Democratic Party. In March 1882, he bought ninety-five acres of land between Third and Sixth streets, just east of the city of San Bernardino, and has recently sold thirty acres of it, at $450 per acre. On the part retained he has built a fine residence, where he, with his family, is extracting as much pleasure from life, perhaps, as any man living.
November 3, 1877, he was married to Miss Julia Miller, of San Bernardino. Her father, Joshua Miller, was a native of Tennessee and came to California in 1861. Her mother, Elizabeth (Anderson) Miller, was a native of Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Cooley have an interesting family of five children, viz.: Edna, Georgia, John A., Marcus and Albert M.