Email Museum

White Deer Land Museum

116 S. Cuyler

Pampa, TX 79065

Charles C. Cook, Pampa's first lawyer, came in 1911

Charles Christopher Cook, who came to Pampa in 1911, was the town's first lawyer. The son of Christopher Charles Cook and Susan Ellen James Cook, he was born at Henrietta, Clay County, Texas, on July 28, 1890.

Immediately after completing his college work, he began the practice of law in Pampa when he was only twenty-two years old. He used a packing box for a desk until he could obtain suitable office furniture.

On January 7, 1913, he was married to Louell Goodfellow at Amarillo. She was born on July 8, 1890 at Estelle, Dallas County, Texas. A graduate of North Texas State Normal College at Denton, Texas, she taught school at Groom in 1911-1912 and at Pampa in 1912-1913.

Charles and Louell Cook had five children: Mary Ellen, born in 1913; Charlotte Christine, born in 1916; Charles Buckler, born in 1919; Betty Bob, born and died in 1927 and Jane, born in 1932.

In addition to being a leader in the legal profession, "Charlie" Cook was active in community work and social affairs. He was very interested in the welfare and growth of his community and gave a great deal of time to the promotion of projects for the betterment of the town and county.  He became well known for his forensic eloquences, using simple yet well chosen words to present forceful and convincing arguments. He became an expert in the laws concerning oil and gas leases which made up a major portion of the legal work in the Pampa area for several decades.

He was a member of Pampa Masonic Lodge No. 966, A.F. & A.M. and also held memberships in the Rotary Club and the Pampa Country Club.

Charles C. Cook died on July 28, 1933 at El Paso, Texas and was buried in Fairview Cemetery at Pampa.

Local people remember Charles C. Cook and his family because he was a developer of the Cook-Adams Addition about 1928 (High school students of that time referred to the addition as "silk stocking hill.") Cook Avenue was named for the lawyer, and the first streets in the Cook-Adams Addition were named for his three children: Mary Ellen, Christine and Charles. Jane missed out on the names since she was born several years later.