Job Adams Cooper (November 6, 1843 – January 20, 1899) was a U.S.

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

politician. He served as the sixth governor of the

State of Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

from 1889 to 1891.

Early life

Job Adams Cooper was born in Greenville, Illinois, to Charles and Maria Hadley Cooper, one of seven children. He attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, but took a leave of absence to fight in the American Civil War for the Union Army. Cooper enlisted as a sergeant in the

137th Illinois Volunteer Infantry The 137th Illinois Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Illinois that served in the Union Army between June 5 and September 4, 1864, during the American Civil War. Service The regiment was organized at Camp Wood, Quincy, Illinois, b ...

, and was stationed in Memphis, Tennessee, during the Confederate raid on the city by troopers under the command of General

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan from 1867 to 1869. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealt ...

. Following the war, he returned to complete his studies. Upon graduation from Knox College in 1867, he returned to his hometown of Greenville and was admitted to practice law in Illinois. That same year, Cooper married Jane O. Barnes, the daughter of a prominent minister, and they had four children together. Leaving his family behind in 1872, he accompanied A. C. Phelps on a westward journey hoping to find entrepreneurial opportunities, and eventually settled in Denver, Colorado, where they started the law firm of Phelps and Cooper. In between 1872 and 1888, Cooper expanded his business interests to include insurance, banking, mining, and the cattle industry.

Governor of Colorado

In 1888, Cooper was nominated for Governor, and went on to defeat '' Rocky Mountain News'' editor Thomas M. Patterson in the general election. Following his inauguration as the state's sixth Governor in January, 1889, he signed legislation that created thirteen new counties, including: Baca, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Montezuma,

Morgan Morgan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Morgan (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Morgan le Fay, a powerful witch in Arthurian legend * Morgan (surname), a surname of Welsh origin * Morgan (singer), ...

, Otero,

Phillips Phillips may refer to: Businesses Energy * Chevron Phillips Chemical, American petrochemical firm jointly owned by Chevron Corporation and Phillips 66. * ConocoPhillips, American energy company * Phillips 66, American energy company * Phil ...

, Prowers, Rio Blanco, Sedgwick, and Yuma. Furthermore, he opened a state orphans home in Denver and a state reformatory in

Chaffee County Chaffee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,476. The county seat is Salida. History Chaffee County has a confusing origin. Between February 8 and February 10, 1879, Carbonate ...

Retirement

Cooper declined to seek reelection in 1890, and returned to his law practice. He later formed a construction business and built Denver's Cooper Building. From 1893 to 1897, he served as President of the local

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...

. He died at the age of 55 and is buried in Denver's Fairmount Cemetery.

Family life

Cooper had a daughter, Mary Louisa Cooper, wife of geologist and railroad official,

Lucius Seymour Storrs Lucius Seymour Storrs (January 4, 1869–July 4, 1945) was a geologist, financier, and notable railway official. He was president of the Connecticut Company, the American Electric Railway Association, the Los Angeles Railway Association, and t ...

. The Storrs had two children, Lucius Seymour Storrs Jr., and Margaret Storrs Grierson.

References

External links

*
National Governors Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Job Adams 1843 births 1899 deaths Republican Party governors of Colorado Knox College (Illinois) alumni People of Illinois in the American Civil War People from Greenville, Illinois Politicians from Denver Union Army soldiers 19th-century American politicians