In the previous Ansel B. Cook post, we followed Ansel B. Cook’s rise in Chicago business and politics. While the 1870s were a high point in the life of Ansel B. Cook, the 1880s and 1890s would prove to have ups and downs, particularly in his personal life. In this post we will take a  look at the significant…

In our last Ansel B. Cook post,  we learned about Ansel B. Cook’s youth in Haddam, CT,  his training as a stone mason, and the family’s move to Illinois in 1846. In today’s post, we’ll look at Ansel’s success in Chicago’s business and political worlds. In 1853, Ansel and Willard Cook (Ansel’s father) secured the…

Cook Avenue, Cook Park, Cook Memorial Library, the Ansel B. Cook Home. Libertyville is full of things named Cook. Who is this Cook guy? Over the next few months (and several blog posts), we’ll take a look at Ansel B. Cook and learn more about the man, his work, and his legacy. Ansel Brainerd Cook was…