learn about the man who started it all, from his investments to his love of family, fishing and the great outdoors.

delve into the family's genealogy. see pictures from 1884 to the family's fourth generation.

this site explores the rich history of the cooke family, which began in the late 19th century and has been going strong. cooke was a banker, investor, and philanthropist who was born in sandusky, ohio, but made his fortune in philadelphia. the family has since spread all over the nation.

to begin, choose from one of the categories at right.

go behind the scenes at jay cooke's mansion at put-in-bay in lake erie

watch a slideshow of some of the most important photos in the family history.

read family newsletters and other information

get in touch with other members of the family, read about what's happening, and tell others your news

about this site

this jay cooke website is for family and friends to enjoy. although we did not live in his time, most of us have heard of our jay cooke roots and of his legend through our parents and/or grandparents, the family newsletters, and cooke reunion.

the website captures some of the historical facts and the essence of the man and his family. it also gives us an opportunity to nurture our links from jay cooke to current and coming generations by sharing family memories and information on our own lives.

the site includes many photographs of jay cooke and his family and friends, which can be enlarged by clicking on them. in many cases additional text can be seen with the enlarged photographs.

how pleased "grandpa cooke" would be to know that his family has not forgotten him after all these generations, and that he has a network of descendants and friends to this day!

this website has been set up by family members. some text appears courtesy of the ohio state university cooke castle website. we welcome any suggestions as to how you believe it could become even more user-friendly for all of us! for further information, please contact alicia watts hosmer at family@jaycooke.com.