User:Halvorsen brian/Charles A. Cook (Oregon politician)

Charles A. Cook (born February 1859) was the first mayor of St. Johns, Oregon, and a telegraph and telephone operator.

Biography
Cook was born on February 1859 in California. In 1889, Cook was working as a traffic officer for the W. U. Telephone Company in Portland, Oregon. He was living at the corner of Seventh and G streets in Portland. By 1893, Cook was residing at 1449 E. Sixth street. At that time, he found employment at the P. P. Telephone Company. Two years later, he moved to 401 E. Seventh street. His work with the firm brought him to [[St. Johns, Oregon in 1898. In March 1900, Cook began the construction of his new home inside St. Johns. In 1897, at the age of 38, he married a 23 year old from Nebraska.

Cook was the mayor of St. Johns during the beginning of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. Mayor Cook declared the St. Johns Review, the town's weekly periodical, would be distributed amongst the fair attendees. During Cook's tenure as mayor, he oversaw many civic improvements including servicing the town's fire hydrants, the passing of the town's first charter. He made his final speech before the St. Johns City Council in early April 1905 after two years of service.