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Francis H. Cook, the Father of Manito Park– Part 1
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According to the book, “Manito Park: A Reflection of Spokane’s Past”:
In his book “News for an Empire”, Ralph Dyar described the arrival of Francis Cook in the following way, “Seventy-four years after the discovery of the Inland Empire, its trading-center-to-be got a newspaper by the grace of God and a tramp printer…The itinerant printer was Francis H. Cook, a native of Ohio, who had set type on newspapers in many other states.”
This “Tramp Printer” would become one of Spokane’s most notable, but unsung historical figures. He was a former elected member of the Territorial Legislative Council, and although the youngest member of both houses, he was chosen as the chairman. According to published accounts of Cook, he was a colorful, hard working and honest man. His enthusiasm and faith in early Spokane was the driving force behind his many worthy enterprises. Although none brought him lasting monetary gain, he gave Spokane some of its most notable legacies. He was truly a visionary whose ideas and actions were ahead of their time.
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A lot more about Francis Cook later. Stay tuned and check in with ManitoPark.Org every week for the next chapter.
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