POLLOCK FAMILY TIDBITS
short stories, articles, biographies and other pieces on Pollock descendents
--MORTIMER COOK--
Newspaper article from: Topeka Capital (Topeka, Kansas) -- July 15, 1925.
In a real estate deal which occurred last week in California there is an echo from the life of a man who figured prominently in the growth of Topeka in its earliest days and who had a part as well in the development of the nation.
Mortimer Cook was ever a seeker of the frontier.
He was a soldier in the armies of the United States during the war with Mexico. In 1848, following the treaty which ended the war, he took his discharge in Mexico, crossed that country from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and then wandered north along the shores of California to Santa Barbara.
Ahead of the gold rush of '49, Cook made a stake in the mines of California, incidentally prospecting as far north as British Columbia. With his stake, Cook returned to Ohio, where he entered the business of sheep farming, with indifferent success.
Having married in Ohio, Cook next chose Topeka as his home. Coming here when the city was only a frontier settlement, he built the first bridge across the Kaw river at this point--a pontoon bridge. When it wrecked, he built a pier bridge to replace it.
The blackest tragedy of Cook's life befell him at Topeka when his home was burned, and two of his children died in the flames. Saddened by the event, he sold his bridge, the city and county jointly purchasing it. It was paid for by bonds Cook deposited in a New York bank. With his wife and two younger children who had survived the fire, he took his way to California, arriving at Santa Barbara early in the seventies.
Cook was instrumental in starting the first national bank in sourthern California, the Santa Barbara First National Gold Bank, with a capital of $50,000,
He invested heavily in Santa Barbara real estate, and built first a home and then, in 1875, a business block known as the Clock building.
It is the recent sale of the Clock building to a group of Santa Barbara men, at a price of $140,000, which has recalled the memory of its builder.
Misfortune overtook Cook shortly after he had completed the building. In 1877, the bank he had established failed and Cook became a bankrupt with liabilities of some $125,000.
The Clock building became the property of the Savings and Loan Society of San Francisco. Mortimer Cook began life anew. He regained control of the building he had built, and also acquired more real estate in its vicinity. But the recovery from disaster was too slow to suit him, and after four or five years he sold all his holdings for $10,000.
Cook made another start at Cedro, Wash., before Washington became a state, but failed again after making another fortune. He died at an advanced age in the Philippine islands.
The Clock building and the other real estate which Cook controlled in Santa Barbara would have been worth at the time of his death, far more than any wealth he might have dreamed of accumulating, but he would not stay and watch it grow to that value.
Mortimer Cook was remembered in California as a pioneer who never was happy unless he was at the front.
--JOHN POLLOCK, SR.--
The text of the will of John Pollock, who died in Harrison County, Ohio, in 1819.
In the name of God Amen; I John Pollock of Green Township, Harrison County, and state of Ohio, being in a weak and sickly state of body but of sound mind and memory do this twenty ninth day of March in the year of our Lord One Thousand eight hundred and nineteenth make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say,--- First of all I do appoint an allow all my lawful Debts and funeral expenses, to be paid off and discharged, out of my personal property, at the discretion of my Executor hereafter to be chosen.
2. I give and bequeath to my oldest Daughter, Lydia Douglas, one Cow, and to John Pollock, my oldest son, one cow, to be given after my decease.
Item 3.- To Ann Adrain, wife of Robert Adrain, I bequeath Fifty Dollars.
4.- I leave and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Pollock, now Elizabeth Ferguson, One Hundred Dollars.
5.- To my daughter, Jane Pollock, I leave the sum of Three Hudred Dollars, one horse, one cow and bed and bedding.
6.- I give to my son, Samuel Pollock, the sum of Four Hundred Dollars.
7.- To my son Clement Pollock I leave the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars.
8.- To my son Hugh Pollock I leave the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars.
9.- To my youngest son, Robert Pollock, I leave the sum of Four Hundred Dollars, these several, sums I allow to be paid out of my Real Estate, after sale is made of it.
10.- I leave and bequeath to my beloved wife, Sarah Pollock, the third of all my personal and real estate and the whole of my real estate to remain in her power and possession, and to have her living off the same until she sees fit to give her consent to have it sold. The balance of the movable property after my debts are paid, I will it to my son, Robert Pollock.
Finally I do hereby nominate and appoint my beloved wife Sarah Pollock and my oldest son, John Pollock, the executors of this my last will and Testament, revoking and disallowing all other Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made, and declaring this and this only, to be my last Will and Tesatment; whereunto I have set my hand and seal the day and year above.
John Pollock [signature]
Signed, sealed, Published and declared as the last Will and Testament of John Pollock, Sen., in the presence of us. Alexander Mathews, Alexander Laughlin, State of Ohio, Harrison County, SS.
At a Court of Common Pleas began and held at Cadiz in and for said Harrison County on the 20th day of March, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred Twenty. Personal appeared in open court, Alexander Mathews and Alexander Laughlin subscribing witnesses to the foregoing last Will and Testament of John Pollock, Sen., and upon their solemn Oath did declare that they were present when the Testator, John Pollock, Sen., signed and acknowledged the same, and that they saw him sign and seal the same, and heard him pronounce and declare the same to be his last Will and Testament, and that they believed the Testator to be of sound mind, memory, and judgement at the time of doing.
Attest--William Tingley, Clerk.
--HARRIETT LOETTA POLLOCK HALLOCK--
Obituary of Harriett Loetta Hallock from The Messenger, Minneapolis, Kansas, April 9, 1936.
Mrs. Morris Hallock, one of the pioneers of the west part of Ottawa County, died Wednesday night, April 1, at a hospital in Salina, after a serious illness of about two weeks. She was almost seventy-one years old and had lived in the community north of Ada since of girl of eight years of age.
The Hallock family has long been one of the best known families in that community and the passing of Mrs. Hallock is a personal loss to countless friends, besides the many family members of the family.
Mrs. Hallock was the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Pollock with whom she came to this county in 1873. Her maiden name was Harriett Loetta Pollock. She was born in Mansfield, Ohio, May 4, 1865. Recently she wrote in a "round robin" letter to other members of the fmaily, telling of some of the early day experiences and this letter is now treasured by them as a priceless possession.
In this letter she tells of her folks first planning to come to Kansas when she was seven years old. They had already migrated as far west as Kirksville, Missouri, and in the winter of 1872-73 they finally completed preparations to come on to Kansas. They loaded a covered wagon with bedding and food and a little sheet iron stove and started westward in company with some other neighbors.
It was a long, slow pull, with just two faithful horses to pull the wagon and they finally got as far as Salina on May 4, 1873, after many hardships en route. These included the necessity of unhitching both teams back to their own wagon. In this manner the long trip was made.
Mrs. Hallock's account tells that they had no difinite destination in Kansas, but that when they reached Salina, her mother insisted it was far enough because she felt they must not go so far west where there would be no schools. They lived near Salina for a few months, then located on a farm four miles north of Ada, where there was a settlement of Christian people and a school.
At eight years of age, being the oldest child, she helped her father break land to put in wheat. It was her job to walk beside the ream of oxen, leading the animals, while her father held the plow in the ground and goaded the oxen ahead. One of the horses had beeh traded for the team of oxen and Mrs. Hallock's account tells of the slow, tedious trips to Delphos, a distance of fourteen miles with an ox team to get supplies. She usually went with her father and they would camp over night on the way. At that time she often had a feeling of hopeless poverty, but the years showed the wisdom of settling in that fine community and brought prosperity.
She was married to Morris Wells Hallock on June 5, 1881. To this union four sons and seven daughters were born, all of whom are living and were able to see their mother during her last illness. Besides her faithful husband of many years, she leaves these children: Dr. Lowell Hallock of Jacksonville, Illinois; Ellis Hallock, of Ada; Warren Hallock, of Indianapolis, Indiana; Prof. Leslie Hallock, of Hinsdale, Illinois; Mrs. Inez Baldwin, of Longford, Kansas; Mrs. Ethel Stevenson, of Culver; Mrs. Helen Balaun, of Salina; Mrs. Eunice Dowds, of St. George, Kansas; Mrs. Volna McClasky, of Cuba, Kansas; Mrs. Neola Carpenter, of Gandy, Nebraska; and Mrs. Muriel Crawford, of Rollingfork, Mississippi. She also leaves 23 grand-children and two brothers and sisters. The latter are Charles Pollock, of Anadarko, Oklahoma, Robert Pollock of Kirksville, Missouri; Mrs. Lillie Keeler, of Dallas, Texas; Mrs. Rena Hills, of Ashley, Kansas; and Mrs. Fannie Casbier, of Maxwell, Iowa.
The body was brought to the R.S. Todd Funeral Home in Minneapolis, where it lay in state until the time of the funeral, which was held Friday afternoon from the M.E. Church in Ada. Rev. Ahrend of the Salina University Church had charge of the services. Internment was made in the Ada Cemetery.