| Birth | 23 Nov 1825 | Sandusky, Huron County, Ohio | | | |
| Education | Bef 1844 | Allegheny College - Meadville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania | | | |
| Graduated | 1844 | Transylvania University & began to study law - Kentucky | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Aft 1844 | studied law under Joseph R Ingersoll & was a writer for the North American - Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania | | | |
| Occupation | 12 Jan 1846 | writer on a list of distinquished writers for Arthur's Magazine | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1847 | was sailing to Valparaiso, Chili to be an attache to the American Consul, was shipwrecked., St Thomas, Virgin Islands | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 25 Jan 1847 | sailed for Callao the seaport of Lima on the British steamer Ecuador - Panama | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Feb 1847 | arrived from Panama 2 weeks later - Lima, Peru | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Abt 28 Feb 1847 | travelled with his sister's children on a Peruvian brig called Casma to Valparaiso - Lima, Peru | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Abt 21 Mar 1847 | arrived on the Casma from Lima - Valparaiso, Chile | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 29 Mar 1847 | sent a letter to an editor friend of the Sandusky Clarion - Valparaiso, Chile | | | |
| Residence | 1847 - 1849 | & was a trader for 3 years in commercial relations with Valparaiso South America - San Francisco, California Territory | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 6 Jul 1847 | Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Apr 1849 | sent his father 4 lumps of gold - San Francisco, California Territory | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Abt Jun 1849 | became involved in speculating and lost his fortune & leaving - San Francisco, California Territory | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 2 Jul 1849 | New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana | | | |
| Marriage | 21 Aug 1849 | Trinity Church, Utica, Oneida County, New York - Laura Serena HUMPHREYS | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Bef 1 May 1850 | leased an office from Robert H Belden who was also a native of Sandusky - San Francisco, California Territory | | | |
| Occupation | Abt 1851 | partner of the Sandusky Register under the firm of Bill, Cooke & Co - Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio | | | |
| Occupation | 9 Jun 1852 | editor of the Sandusky Commercial Register - Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio | | | |
| Occupation | | owner of the Columbus State Journal - Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio | | | |
| Residence | 1855 | 51 Columbus Ave, the home his father built in 1844 - Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1856 | a presidential elector - Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1858 | attempted to help his friend John Sherman become Speaker of the House of Represeantives by traveling - Washington, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 22 Nov 1858 | Ohio | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 5 May 1859 | Ohio | | | |
| Residence | 9 Jul 1860 | & was an editor - Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio | | | |
| Occupation | 1861 | partner in Jay Cooke & Co - Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, | | | |
| Residence | Abt 1861 | Georgetown, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Abt 1861 | Washington, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 17 Jul 1861 | | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 26 Jul 1861 | Washington, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 29 Jul 1861 | & his brother spoke with the wealthy man of the city & they obtained a guarantee for $1, 500,000 - Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1 Aug 1861 | left Philadelphia to report to Secretary Chase with the good news arriving - Washington, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 27 May 1862 | was a stockholder in Washington & Georgetown Railway Co with 302 shares - Washington, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 14 Jun 1862 | Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio | | | |
| Residence | 1865 | purchased his home - Georgetown, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Abt 1867 | Georgetown, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1867 | purchased the property opposite his home, Carterplace - Georgetown, District of Columbia | | | |
| Residence | 12 May 1868 | & was partner in the firm of Jay Cooke & Co with a salary of $82,000 - Washington, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 2 Apr 1870 | was a director and Vice President of the National Life Ins. Co of Washington DC - Washington, District of Columbia | | | |
| Residence | 13 Jul 1870 | & was a banker - Georgetown, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Feb 1871 | appointed first governor by President Grant - District of Columbia | | | |
| Residence | 2 Mar 1871 | Georgetown, District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 2 Mar 1871 | member of the London branch of Jay Cooke, McCulloch & Co, an American banking house - London, England | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 13 Sep 1873 | resigned as the governor - District of Columbia | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 25 Sep 1873 | Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 15 Nov 1873 | | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Jan 1874 | | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 19 May 1874 | Washington, District of Columbia | | | |
| Occupation | 1878 | employed in mining operations until his health began to fail - Colorado | | | |
| Residence | 12 Jun 1880 | & was a retired banker - Georgetown, District of Columbia | | | |
| Death | 24 Feb 1881 | after a long illness - Washington, District of Columbia | | | |
| Burial | Aft 24 Feb 1881 | Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia | | | |