Encyclopedia Dubuque
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COOPER, Augustin A.
COOPER, Augustin A. (Cambria Co, PA, Nov. 9, 1829--Dubuque, IA, Sept. 21, 1919). Cooper was born in Chess Creek, a wilderness area of Pennsylvania, but was baptized a Roman Catholic by Dr. Demetrius Augustine Gallitzen, formerly a prince and member of the royal family of Russia who gave up his rights to the throne to serve the church in Loretta, Pennsylvania. At the age of nine, Augustine accompanied his parents as they moved westward to Wisconsin Territory and settled near Long Grove, Iowa. Cooper came to Dubuque in 1840. (1)
He began working as an apprentice blacksmith working from 4:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. With little money, he served a four-year apprenticeship at the firm of Newman and Duffee, wagon makers. Completing his apprenticeship on January 1, 1850, Cooper remained with the firm as a blacksmith earning $26.00 per month. (2) Accounts at the time of his death mentioned his interest in manufacturing plows and that he offered one of the earliest for sale. (3)
Cooper began experimenting with his own ideas about wagon making. He was especially convinced aged wood was important. Lumber used by Cooper was cured up to seven years in special buildings. (4) Lumber used in other wagons at the time was generally kiln-dried and tended to crack, check, shrink and warp. (5)
In 1862 Cooper bought out the remaining interest in the blacksmith shop for one hundred dollars. Cooper's first plant employed one journeyman wagon maker and two apprentices. (6) Within six months his original 30- by 40-foot shop was enlarged. A year later a one-story building was constructed across the street. Within six years, Cooper constructed a four-story factory made of brick at Third and Main STREETS. He now employed eighty people and business could produce fifty wagons per week.
The COOPER WAGON WORKS grew rapidly leading to his expansion of the business. At one time the factory covered twenty-seven acres in Dubuque. (7) The Cooper wagon, "Old Reliable," was advertised as the best on the prairies. Testimonials about the ruggedness of the wagons came from across the United States and around the world. Cooper sold ten thousand wagons in Colorado and five thousand wagons in Utah. (8) Cooper wagons were used by the Afrikaners in South Africa to transport material in the Boer War.
Cooper's success led to the construction of the GREYSTONE, his personal home. He had the "York House" constructed on the corner of Bluff and Sixth STREETS as the home of his daughter Mary and her husband John Waller. In 1934 this was demolished and replaced with the Federal Building on Sixth Street. The REDSTONE (THE) on the corner of Bluff and Fifth was the residence of his daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Daniel Sullivan. A power plant was constructed on the same block for the use of all three homes. (9) The Coopers had one additional daughter, Regina. She married Paul Gilmore, a stage and silent film actor. Upon her death, Paul Gilmore gave custody of their two children to Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Cooper and continued touring. Paul Jr. died in a railway accident. Regina joined her father in adulthood, changed her name to Virginia Cooper GILMORE as a stage name, and helped establish Gilmore Comedy in Duluth, Minnesota. In retirement, they returned to Dubuque to live. She died there in 1981. (10)
The ten thousand wagons sold in Colorado in 1889 led Cooper to boost the number of employees from 250 to around 1,200 men which was about one-third of the city's population. (11) This was accomplished by the construction around 1891 of a 100' x 90' building for manufacturing. (12) Despite the number of employees, it was said Cooper knew each person by name and would walk through the plant asking about the employees' families. At Christmas and Thanksgiving each person received a turkey. (13) The practice was only ended when arguments broke out as to who received the largest bird. He served as a city alderman in 1873. (14) Among his other business interests was serving as vice-president of the GERMAN BANK. (15) In 1889 he was one of the directors of the New Julien House Company. (16)
In 1874 Cooper made a seven week trip to the Pacific Coast visiting Brigham Young, San Francisco, Sacramento, "big trees," Yosemite Valley, and "mountain passes." (17) The Dubuque Herald expressed its thanks for copies of the Salt Lake newspapers "somewhat of a curiosity in these parts where a man is allowed only one wife." (18)
By 1905 there were many indications that automobiles were the future of transportation. It has been said that Cooper was approached by the Studebakers to join them in business. (19) Many stories relate to supposed business dealings Cooper may have had with Henry Ford. It is claimed that Ford offered Cooper the opportunity to go into business together. Ford wanted Cooper to manufacture the carriage for automobiles while Ford would produce the engines. Cooper turned the young inventor down, believing there was no future in automobiles. (20) Much of the legend regarding Cooper and Henry Ford comes from his granddaughter's unpublished writing entitled, "My Grandfather" (Regina "Dean" Cooper Gilmore) on file at the Loras CENTER FOR DUBUQUE HISTORY. (21) Ironically on October 1, 1956 Cooper's residence, the Greystone, was torn down so that a parking lot for automobiles could be created. (22)
It is believed that Ford visited Cooper in Dubuque and fell in love with the Iowan's made to-order desk, a twelve-foot-long oak rolltop with a small wardrobe attached on each side. Ford later had the desk duplicated for himself. (23) In 1981 Cooper's desk was purchased for $6,000 in the estate of Virginia Cooper GILMORE by Dubuque auctioneer, Ken Mozena. In 1985 Mozena donated the desk to the HAM HOUSE Museum. (24)
Cooper had an ongoing dispute with city officials. He refused to pay to have his 27-acre Cooper Wagon and Buggy Company shown on an early map of the city. (25) He also had to deal with a transient workforce. As he explained it:
Wagon makers are a class of men that drift about--here today and gone tomorrow. And that is what I meant when I said I have employed 100,000 men in the time I have been in business, for they have come and gone and come and gone almost defying our efforts to keep track of their names for pay rolls. (26)
Cooper worked with local authorities in the practice of indenturing youth. The following is a copy of one such "indenture." (27)
Indenture
James Phillps Bounds to Augustine A. Cooper
This indenture made this 14th day of September AD 1852 by and between
William Y. Lovell, County Judge, of the County of Dubuque and State of
Iowa on the part of Jane Phillips' Minor hers of James Phillips
deceased (unclear) of the first Part and Augustine A. Cooper of Dubuque
County and State of Iowa witnessed that the said A. A. Cooper is held
and firmly bound unto the County Judge aforesaid the use of James
Phillips in the final sum of (unclear) hundred dollars to be well and truly
made to said County Judge for the purpose aforesaid family of these
presents.
The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas James Phillips
has this day been and by these presents is firmly bound to labour at
blacksmithing in a reasonable and moderate manner from the date of this
instrument, or as soon as he shall be of proper age, to be placed at the
business until he shall have attained the age of twenty-one years at the
blacksmithing ocupation (sic).
The Said (sic) Cooper aforesaids to teach him all the varied branches
Skill (sic) and Science (sic), pertaining thereto in the best manner
possible thereby making of the Said James a good and efficient
blacksmith to clothe the Said James in a neat and comfortable
manner to provide for his comfort in sickness furnishing medial attendance
if required and give the Said minor aforesaid at best of monthly schooling
in Each (sic) Year (sic) if there be a school within the district and
treating him as his own child as to inheritance.
In consideration of the above it is hereby agreed by (unclear) W. Y. Lovell
on the part of James Phillips Minor aforesaid that Said Cooper shall (unclear)
and receive from the child James his seasonable labour as aforesaid at all
times in such manner as may be for the interest of Said Cooper and that the
Said James Phillips aforesaid covenants and hereby agrees neither to ask nor
demands any other compensation for labour and services (unclear) by the
child Phillips for the Said Cooper other than thus herein stipulated and the
Said Cooper of the Second Part hereby agrees and binds himself to pay the
Said James Phillips, the claim of one hundred dollars when he (unclear) the
age of majority twenty-one years.
In witness where of we each of us have here to set our hands this 14th day
of September A.D. 1852.
Wm. Y. Lovell (signature)
Augustin A. Cooper
Cooper's major problem was one common to frontier towns--FIRES. Cooper's business suffered from four fires. In 1867 his factory and adjacent warehouse, valued at $50,000, were destroyed. In November, 1895 fire destroyed his warehouse and charred the factory's first floor. The loss was $120,000 and Cooper had no insurance. He had refused to pay the premium. With difficulty his business was reconstructed; he had insurance when fires again struck in 1905 and 1917.
Cooper's once thriving business closed one year after his death in 1919. (28)
A. A. Cooper. Jr. and his brother William owned the JULIEN HOTEL. A.A. Cooper, Jr. then moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana to operate a family hotel. After giving birth to A. A. Cooper IV, Robye Cooper Teeling divorced A.A. Cooper, Jr. and took the family to Texas. In 1993 Austin A. Cooper IV, his wife, his cousin Marion Mercer, and his mother visited Dubuque. (29)
See: UNITED STATES v. COOPER et al.
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Source:
1. "A. A. Cooper Dies at Age of Ninety; Dubuque Pioneer," The Telegraph Herald, September 22, 1919, p. 1
2. Oldt, Franklin T., History of Dubuque County, Iowa, Chicago, Goodspeed Historical Association, 1911, p. 499
3. "A.. A. Cooper Dies..."
4. Hellert, Susan Miller, Hidden History of Dubuque, Charleston, SC. The History Press, 2016, p. 133
5. "Redstone History," Online: http://www.theredstoneinn.com/history.htm
6. "A. A. Cooper Completes Sixty Years of Successful Business," Telegraph Herald, March 6, 1910, p. 18
7. Hendricks, Mike. "Cooper-A Proud Family Now Gone," Telegraph Herald, Dec. 7, 1981, p. 1. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LOlFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wPwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4428,854051&dq=aa+cooper+dubuque&hl=en)
8. Hellert, p. 133
9. Ibid.
10. "Redstone History."
11. Ibid.
12. "Municipal Molecules," Dubuque Daily Herald, March 22, 1891, p. 8
13. "Businessmen Laud Pioneer," The Telegraph Herald, September 22, 1919, p. 8
14. "Redstone History."
15. "Organized," Dubuque Sunday Herald, February 15, 1889, p. 4
16. Bergstrom, Kathy. "Group Decides to 'Relax,' Sell Redstone," Telegraph Herald Oct. 25, 1996, p. 2. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JlZFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1rsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2743,4200979&dq=aa+cooper+dubuque&hl=en
17. "Home Again," Dubuque Herald, June 20, 1874, p. 4. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=uh8FjILnQOkC&dat=18740620&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
18. "Little Crusaders," Dubuque Herald, June 20, 1874, p. 4. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=uh8FjILnQOkC&dat=18740620&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
19. "Redstone History."
20. Blocker, Sue. "Too Bad Cooper Didn't Listen to Ford's Advice," Telegraph Herald, July 7, 1985, p. 4. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YiFRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=09sMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6738,544395&dq=aa+cooper+dubuque&hl=en
21. Fischer, Katherine. E-Mail. February 22, 2016
22. Hendricks, Mike,
23. Blocker, Sue.
24. Ibid.
25. Glindinning, Mary. "Family Tours City to Discover about Innovator's Life," Telegraph Herald, June 19, 1993, p. 3A
26. "A. A. Cooper Completes Sixty Years..."
27. Indentures (Dubuque County, Iowa) Provided by Diane Harris
28. Hendricks, Mike.
29. Glindinning.
"Our Spirited Years," Telegraph Herald, 1976
175 Years, Volume 3, "Industrialist Makes His Mark," Telegraph Herald, September 15, 2008