MALCOLM GRAHAM COOK

Feb 2. 1833 – Dept. 3. 1919

Malcolm Graham Cook was born in Watertown, N.Y. on Feb. 2, 1833. He was married to Carrie G. Freeman of Ellisburg, N.Y. on Oct. 5, 1857. About fourteen years later bis wife passed away. Shortly afterward he took his two sons, Alton and Vernie, and moved to Southern Michigan. One year and a half later, he married Louisa A. Maring of Flint, Michigan. He also lived at Sand Lake and Altoona for a few years.

In December 1881, Mr. Cook moved his family to Boyne City, Charlevoix County in Northern Michigan. He was an architect, and while there, built a school in 1884. He also built sailboats, and some of which he built at Walloon Lake were works of very good craftsmanship. He also owned and operated a sawmill there.

About 1894, Mr. Cook and his son Leo, who was then, 16 years old went to Alanson, Michigan and built a steam boat called the “Glenn L” which was named after his two sons Glenn and Leo They earned their livelihood by taking tourist parties, fishing parties, and carrying even household goods, to various points through the Inland Route.  This water route is made up of rivers and lakes from Conway through Cheboygan to Lake Huron.

The second boat he built was a much larger steam boat and was called “The Pastime”.  Then a third one was built, a launch which he named “Floy” after a granddaughter. 

Of Course, It was necessary to have a boat house, so he purchased land on the west bank of Crooked River just north of the bridge on M-68. He built living quarters above the boat house and lived there during the summer for about 25 years. In the winter, he stayed with his son Alton G. Cook, in Petoskey.

The families, as well as the tourists, spent many happy hours on the “Pastime”.  Many times he took the families across Burt Lake when it was rough because most of them loved to ride the waves. Each spring about May first, just as the arbutus would be blossoming, about twenty or twenty-five relatives would take the train to Alanson, then board the “Pastime” for a day of pleasure.

Captain Cook, as he became known, would take the crowd to the Devil’s Elbow in Crooked River where everyone would gather arbutus and then enjoy a picnic dinner. The children always asked permission to be absent from school that day and always had been granted the request.

There was one time, however, when all the plans had been made for the trip, that the teachers refused to grant the favor. However, with the consent of the parents, all went anyway. The punishment was lower marks, but no one cared because of the wonderful outing, which will never be forgotten.

Captain Cook loved to sail the waters of the Inland Route which was a gain of lakes and rivers – Crooked Lake, Crooked River, Burt Lake, Indian River, Mullet Lake, and Cheboygan River which emptied into Lake Huron. He knew all the currents and shoals like a book. Even so, once in a while he would go aground on the bank of the Crooked River which was the most difficult of all to navigate.

Perhaps it might be interesting to know the names of those who have purchased the boat house since Captain Cook passed away, September 3, 1919. 
After his death it was sold to:
Joseph Seward of Petoskey, Michigan; 
Then to Clar C. Cook of Petoskey, who sold it in 1931 
to Ronald R. Blair of Bay View, Michigan. 
in 1939, Joseph Seward bought it back and 
in 1946, Mr. Seward sold it to George Bryant of Alanson, Michigan.

I do not wish to forget the fact that Captain Cook was a Church man and was affiliated with the Baptist Church. He was superintendent of the Sunday School while living in Flint.

In closing, there is one tribute I would like to give Captain Cook, or Grandfather Cook to me. He was always kind, a wonderful man to my mother and father and was always willing to play games with me.
I just want to say that if I can grow old as sweetly and graciously as he did, that is all I will ever ask.

Written by: Floy Cook Graham, 1952.