My Genealogy Hound

JOHN WILLIAM COOPER, paper-dealer, Pittsburgh, was born at Gap Iron-works, Blair county, Pa., Nov. 30, 1852. His great-grandfather, John Cooper, immigrated to this country in 1750, settling in Mifflin county, Pa., and engaged in farming and distillery. Grandfather John Cooper was born in Mifflin county in 1787, and died in Hollidaysburg, Pa., in 1876, aged eighty-nine years; was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The grandparents had seven children: James, John, Samuel, David, Nancy, Marguerite and Caroline. Grandfather served in the war of 1812-13, as captain. His children, now living, are Nancy, now Mrs. Samuel Thompson, and residing in Birmingham, Pa. (Her husband was a great abolitionist and before the emancipation proclamation often kept runaway slaves hidden in his cellar that their masters would not get them.) James has been most of his life in the coal and iron business, and is now seventy-three years of age, and retired; was out in the war of the rebellion. Samuel (father of John W.) has also spent most of his life in the coal and iron business, principally at the Juniata Iron-works, in Huntingdon county, and on the Alleghany mountains; has three children living: Jennie (married), John William (the subject of this sketch, married) and Anna M. (single, at home). The father of this family was born at Shirleysburg, Huntingdon county, Jan. 4, 1823, and is now sixty-six years of age and retired.

John William Cooper is his only son and was reared at Juniata Iron-works; finished his education at Martinsburg, Pa.; at eighteen years of age went to Iowa, where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits for nearly two years. He then took a position as bookkeeper and manager of the store of Morrison, Bare & Co., at Roaring Springs, Pa., where he remained three years. He came to Pittsburgh in 1880 (when the firm opened an office and warehouse here for the sale of their paper-mill products), as correspondent, etc. In 1880 he become a partner in the firm, which is now Morrison, Cass & Co. He is a supporter of the Shadyside Presbyterian Church and is of republican principles. In 1881 he married Agnes Wright, daughter of J. S. Atterbury (see his sketch,) and has five children: S. Atterbury, John William, Jr., Lide Bell, Marie Agnes and Marguerite. Residence at Shadyside.