Born in Palatine, New York, Cook moved to Oakland County, Michigan Territory, in 1831.
Just after Wisconsin achieved statehood, he was elected to two consecutive terms as district attorney of Sheboygan County, serving from 1849 through 1853.
[3] Concurrent to his mayoral term, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate for the 1857 and 1858 sessions, defeating incumbent Republican David Taylor.
Subsequent to his Senate term, Cook moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he practiced law for a few years.
In March 1867, he slipped and broke his leg on a patch of icy sidewalk near his office, sustaining an injury that would leave him dependent on crutches for the rest of his life.