Thomas Hook

Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.

An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County, California, Pages 408-410. Lewis Pub. Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.

San Joaquin County Biographies

THOMAS KENT HOOK, deceased. The subject of this sketch was born in Green County, Pennsylvania, November 11, 1816. Reared on a farm he received a limited education in the log school-house of the district, but afterward supplied the deficiency in a great measure by reading and studying in later life. When only two years old he lost his father and went to live with his grandfather, who died in 1832. He was then apprenticed to a cabinet-maker at Waynesburg, and learned the trade. In 1836 he went to Indiana, and settling in Terre Haute there worked as a carpenter and builder for thirteen years. He left that city March 4, 1849, for California, coming across the plains and reaching this State September 9, 1849. Three days later he arrived in Sacramento, and after working at his trade about one week proceeded to Winter’s Bar. There he tried his luck and afterward at Angel’s creek, but without marked success, and in December, 1849, came to Stockton and helped to build the first store at the corner of Main and Center streets, and soon afterward the building on the southwest corner of Center and Market streets. In the spring of 1850 he again tried mining for a few weeks with unsatisfactory results at Horseshoe Bend on the Merced river, and returned to house-building in Stockton, in which he continued some six months. His next venture was as one of the twenty-seven who went in search of the alleged silver mines in Death valley, which they never found. Again in Stockton he went to farming on the Calaveras, two and one half miles from the city, and continued in that pursuit until 1857, when he sold out and went into the livery-stable business. In 1860 he was elected Sheriff of this county on the Republican ticket, and by re-election held the office from 1861 to 1865, and in 1866 was elected Mayor of this city. He was Alderman for three terms and President of the council one year. In 1868 he erected Hook’s building, on the northeast corner of Main and San Joaquin streets, at a cost of $40,000. Mr. Hook was twice married, surviving his first wife and only child for many years. He was married in September, 1860, to Mrs. Anna (Conklin) Greenfield, the widow of Elijah Greenfield, a pioneer of 1849, by whom she had one child, now deceased. Mr. Hook died of apoplexy, October 11, 1888.