Cooksville Post Office Contributed and transcribed by Cousin Don Henkle. ------------------------------------------------------------------- KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. -------------------------------------------------------------- COOKSVILLE Post Office John W. Cook and family came to Woodson County from Ohio in 1877 and purchased a farm in Perry township, the northeast quarter of Section 8-26 17. A house made partly of native limestone rock was built. It was in this house, on 20 May 1879 that John W. Cook established a postoffice and called it 'Cookville'. It was also known as the 'Seven-mile house', being that far from Humboldt on the state road going from Humboldt to Belmont. It became quite a popular place for the freighters traveling the wagon trail as "meals & lodging" could be had here, besides a place to go feed & water their horses and oxen. In the spring of 1883, John W. Cook drove a team and buggy to Humboldt. Coming home just west of Humboldt, Owl Creek was out of its banks, following a heavy rain. A train, coming into the station, gave a shrill whistle that scared the team of horses and they ran into the high water. Cook was thrown from the buggy and drowned. It was believed that he was hurt by one of the horses as he was a good swimmer. The postoffice of Cookville was then taken over by Ira B. Owens, 22 June 1883. However, he did not keep it very long. On October 1883, Elliot Cole was appointed as postmaster and the postoffice of Cookville was moved to Mr. Cole's farm, a mile north on the Parallel line. This was also a stone house. Mr. Cole kept the postoffice from that date until a rural route was established thru there in January of 1904, when the papers were transferred to Rose. In the Yates Center News of 06 May 1887, we find the following: Cookville, Kansas -- The following is the proceedings of the meeting held at the Maple Grove schoolhouse Sunday, 01 May 1887, for the organization of a Sunday School Name of school ... Maple Grove Union Sunday School; collection, $1.43, Andrew Huff, Secretary.