Biography of John O. Cobb

Born June 4, 1842, the seventh son of Sylvester Cobb, of Tennessee, the subject of our sketch attended public school until seventeen years of age, when he commenced railroading, and continued the business for three years, when the war broke out and he joined the Federal army, holding the positions of private, second and first lieutenant, and finally, captain of his company. After the close of the war he came to the Cherokee Nation with Colonel John J. Humphrey, at that time agent for the Cherokees. In 1867 he established a trading post at Webber’s Falls, Canadian District, under the firm name of Cobb & Hutton. Here he remained until 1874, when he went to Gibson Station, where he sold goods, and in 1877 moved to Claremore, where, in the same business, he had a large trade and a good stock ranch. In May 1880, he started in the livery business at Muskogee, purchasing Hammer & Cunningham’s interest. Here he remained until the spring of 1882, when he again embarked in the cattle business, near Muskogee, continuing the same until 1886. After the big fire in the before-mentioned town, Mr. Cobb purchased Dr. Williams’ old stand, where he erected a good frame building and furnished it with a large and varied assortment of drugs, school books, stationary, jewelry, paints, etc., together with a fine display of toilet ornaments and other fancy goods. He carries on hand a stock of from $7,000 to $10,000. Mr. Cobb owns a farm of 300 acres in cultivation, with an orchard containing about 6,000 fruit trees, two and a half miles from Muskogee. He is also owner of 150 to 200 head of cattle and about forty-five head of stock horses of a superior grade, many of them bred from his fine Hambletonian horse Felix, which stands sixteen and a half hands and weighs nearly 1,500 pounds. Mr. Cobb married Miss Eudora Moffett, March 4, 1869, eldest daughter of Robert Moffett, a white man, who married a Cherokee citizen. By this marriage he has four living children, named Henry, Lulu, Eudora and Belle. Mrs. Cobb died May 30, 1881, after giving birth to twins, who only survived their mother a couple of months. Mr. Cobb is a gentleman of refinement, highly educated, and a thorough business man withal. He is five feet ten inches in height, and weighs 150 pounds. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church and of the Grand Army of the Republic.


Topics:
Biography,

Locations:
Indian Territory,

Collection:
O'Beirne, Harry F. and Edward S. The Indian Territory: Its Chiefs, Legislators, and Leading Men. St. Louis. 1898.

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