Surnames: Bradford, Crouse

Regions: Saratoga, New York - Fort Plain, Montgomery Co., NY

Source: History of the Mohawk Valley - Gateway to the West- 1614-1925
Covering The Six Counties of Schenectady, Schoharie,
Montgomery, Fulton, Herkimer and Oneida.
Volume IV Illustrated; Page 750
Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1925

Colonel George Crouse Cook is the present representative in the community of the Crouse family. Through his father, George Byron Cook, Colonel Cook is fourth in descent from Lyman Cook, who established the paper manufacturing village of Cook's Mills near Saratoga, early in the nineteenth century; and through his mother he is the sixth in descent from Jacob Crouse, the first permanent settler on the site of Fort Plain. George Crouse Cook attended the Fort Plain grammar school and was a student at the Clinton Liberal Institute and Fort Plain Military Academy for four years, completing his work there with the class of 1894. The same year he entered the Institute of Naval Architecture, New York, and was the first graduate of his class in 1897. After two years work with Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Colonel Cook entered Glasgow University, Glasgow, Scotland, and, in postgraduate work in naval architecture, was awarded, by the University, senior class honors in 1901. He was also elected a member of the Institution of Naval Architects of London, England, which is one of the leading scientific societies of the world. After his graduation from Glasgow University, Colonel Cook followed his professional work, first in connection with the leading shipyard at Kiel, Germany, and then as an independent naval architect in New York City, handling the design and construction of various classes of vessels for prominent shipowners of the country. In 1908 he entered the service of the United States government as engineering officer to participate in the design, construction and maintenance of its large fleet of vessels of various classes. Much of his original work for the government was performed in Washington, but its execution carried him to all parts of the country. During the year, prior to the entry of the United States into the World war, Colonel Cook was on construction duty in Southern California, and from this station he was ordered to France, with the American Expeditionary Force in 1917, as the chief engineering officer of Water Transportation, on the staff of the director general of Transportation at General Headquarters. For eighteen months Colonel Cook was continuously covering the lines of communication between the seaports of France and England and the American front. He was a member of the Transportation conference at the British War office in the spring of 1918, and was ordered to several neutral countries of Europe, in connection with the most important problems of transportation. In his work Colonel Cook personally used every known means of transportation, from the ox-carts of the French peasants at some little known port, to the battleplanes of the Air Service, in flying across enemy country to reach a trouble point requiring his services with the minimum of delay. He was eight times under the most severe German fire and escaped death only by chance in the crash of his airplane. At another time, he worked successfully through a mine field amidst the wreckage of the preceding craft, hit and destroyed by the torpedo of a German submarine. Colonel Cook became known in the American Expeditionary Force as a "trouble shooter", and was recommended for various military honors. He received a citation from the Commanding General, John J. Pershing, the Certificate of Merit from the war department for "exceptionally meritorious service", and the Conspicuous Service Cross, together with corresponding awards from the Allied countries. After the armistice Colonel Cook continued with the army in France for nearly a year, participating in the return movement of troops and was ordered home only after operation of the French ports by our forces had been discontinued and the transportation lines turned back to the French authorities. During the reconstruction period at home Colonel Cook was on duty in New York in connection with the restoration to commercial service of the fleet of captured German vessels, which bad been used as troop transports during the war. At this time he had charge of the construction work on the greatest fleet of passenger vessels ever operated as a unit under the American flag, and the Steamships George Washington, America, Kaiser Wilhelm, II, etc., were placed in service in accordance with his plans. In 1921 Colonel Cook was forced to leave the active service of the government to take charge of certain property of the family, which had been thrown into his care by the death of a cousin and, since that date, has been a resident of Fort Plain, which he has continually held as his legal residence since his first departure in 1894. During his most intense activities the Colonel has, at all times, been a keen student, observer and writer. He has contributed largely to the technical and scientific press of the country and his numerous papers, published by national scientific societies, have been widely reprinted and quoted as authorities on their respective subjects. He is connected with the leading marine scientific institutions of America, England and France; a member of the Royal Societies Club, London; the Army and Navy Club, Washington; the Sons of the American Revolution, etc. In 1899 Colonel Cook was married to Miss Florence E. Bradford, of the distinguished New England family of that name. Mrs. Cook has been an extensive traveler with her husband, having, in addition to living at all national stations, spent the year immediately following the armistice with him in France. Colonel and Mrs. Cook have two children, a daughter, Helen Alice Crouse, now a student at the John Crouse College of Syracuse University; and a son, Bradford, who is also a student at Syracuse. Both young people are enrolled in the Society of Mayflower Descendants and the Sons and Daughters of the Revolution, respectively, and bid fair to add to their family record of successful achievement.