14
OREGON CITY COURIER-HERALD NEW YEAR NUMBER.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY OFFICIALS
of R. D. Wilson, the firm name now being
Wilson & Cooke. In 1891 Mr. Cooke was
elected a member of the City Council, where
he served five years. In 1898 he was elected
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OFFICIALS ON COURT HOUSE STEPS
JUDGE THOS. F. RYAN.
Thos. F. Ryan, County Judge of Clacka
mas County, was born in the City of Provi
dence, R. I., in the year i8sg; was educated
in the public schools of that city and of
Holyoke, Mass.; on leaving school he en
gaged in the woolen manufacturing business
until 1878, when he removed to Colorado
and engaged in mining until 1879, when he
accepted the position as traveling corre
spondent for the Boston Journal through the
Southern and Western States; in 1880 he
came to Oregon under engagement with
served his party in this county as treasurer
of the Central Committee for four years, and
as secretary for two years. He was elected
as school clerk for the Oregon City School
District for five consecutive terms; served as
Mayor of Oregon City for one year, and as
city recorder for three years, resigning said
position to take his present office as County
Judge. He was instrumental in creating the
Water Commission of Oregon City, serving
as secretary of same for the first three
years of its inauguration, and to his efforts
are due in a great measure the undoubted
success of the system. The Judge has ever
been an active member of the fraternal or
ganizations and has not only been honored
by the home lodges for his services, but has
received well deserved recognition from the
Grand Lodges of the State; in 1899 and T900
he served as Grand Patron of the O. E. S.
of Oregon; at the present time he is the
Grand Patriarch of the Grand Encamnment
I. O. O. F. of Oregon, and is also the Grand
Scribe of Royal Arch Masons of the State.
He is a good citizen, being ever foremost
in any work that ten-'s in any wav to advance
the interests of the County of Clackamas or
the State of Oregon.
the Brownsville Woolen Mills, remaining
with them until 1881, when he accepted a
position with the Oregon City Manufactur
ing Company; in 1885 he purchased the Cliff
House, then the principal hotel of Oregon
Citv. and successfully conducted the same
until 1888, when he formed a partnership
with Tom P. Randall, and the firm of Ryan
y Randall soon became known as the lead
ing one engaged in the real estate and insur
ance business in Clackamas County. Judge
Ryan took up the study of law in 1895 and
was admitted to the bar in 1000. He is an
ardent and life-long Republican, and has
SHERIFF J. J. COOKE.
J. J. Cooke was born at Damascus, Clack
amas County, Or., in the year 1859. living
on a fnrm until 19 years of age. when he
came to Oregon City to learn the black
smith trade, working under George W. Wil
lis for three years. He then purchased a
shop at Molalla, where he remained about a
year and a half, then selling out and return
ing to this city, where, with his brother,
Henry, he embarked in the livery business
under the firm name of Cooke Bros., pur
chasing the David Story livery stable. Mr.
Cooke followed this pursuit for about seven
years, then disposing of his interest and en
gaging in the grocery business, forming a
partnership with D. F. May. Eighteen
months later they disposed of their business
to Bentley & Campbell, Mr. Cooke purchas
ing one-half interest in the hardware concern
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Sheriff of Clackamas County on the Union
ticket, and, in June, 1900, was re-elected to
the same office. Mr. Cooke has served the
public for years, and his upright, honest and
accommodating methods have won for him
the esteem of the entire community. Clack
amas County has never enjoyed a better ad
ministration of the Sheriff's office than dur
ing Mr. Cooke's term.
COUNTY CLERK E. H. COOPER.
Was born in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania,
and attended school there until 15 years of
age, when his father's family moved to Kan
sas, where he lived until 1880, when he came
to Oregon and settled near Cams, in this
county. In 1880 he joined the State Grange
and served as secretary of the Molalla local
grange for three years. He was instrumen
tal in organizing and was first noble grand
of Lone Star Lodge of Odd Fellows, at
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Clackamas, is secretary of the United Ar
tisans of Oregon City, one of the board of
managers of the local lodge of Woodmen
of the World? and high priest of the Odd
Fellows' encampment of this city. He was
deputy clerk under Elmer Dixon for two
terms, from 1896 to 1900. In June. 1900, he was
elected to the office on the Citizens' ticket,
which office he fills to the entire satisfaction
of the taxpayers. He is courteous and
obliging to all and every man in the county
is his friend.