Have you ever wondered why the library servicing Libertyville/Vernon Hills is called the Cook Memorial Public Library District? I mean, we’re not even in Cook county!

The answers are found in 19th century Libertyville resident Ansel B. Cook. Our local history librarian Jenny Barry returns for another episode of The Past is President. Find out who Mr. Cook was, what he did, and how his home became the town’s public library.

Read Jenny’s 3-part Who Was Ansel B. Cook? series.

For more local history information and details on visiting the Cook House, visit the Libertyville-Mundelein Historical Society website.