My Genealogy Hound

HONORABLE WARREN B. HOOKER. They who have won prominent position and honorable distinction in life are not all old men. In political, as in business or military life, those who win the rank of leaders, do so at an early age, or else give decided earnest of future achievement. Of that class of young men in Chautauqua county, who have won success by their own efforts, is Hon. Warren B. Hooker, the present member of Congress from the Thirty-fourth congressional district of New York, composed of the counties of Allegany, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus. He is a son of John and Philena (Waterman) Hooker, and was born at Perrysburg, Cattaraugus county, New York, November 24, 1856. John Hooker was a native of Vermont, and settled in Cattaraugus county, where he was a leading farmer at the time of his death, June 24, 1888, when in the eighty-second year of his age. He married Philena Waterman, of Massachusetts, who passed away in 1883, aged seventy years.

Warren B. Hooker was reared on the farm and received his education at Forestville academy, from which he was graduated in the class of 1872. At the close of his academic course, he determined upon law as a life vocation, and pursued his legal studies with J. G. Record, of Forestville, this county. He was admitted to the bar in 1879, and practiced in Chautauqua county until 1882, when he went west. At the end of two years he returned to Chautauqua county, and established himself in active practice at Fredonia, where he has remained ever since. His political career commenced in 1878, when he was elected special surrogate of Chautauqua county, which position he held for three years. In 1890 he received the nomination of his party for Congress over several popular and able republican leaders, and at the ensuing election had a majority of 5,726 votes over his democratic opponent.

On September 11, 1884, he united in marriage with Etta E. Abbey, daughter of Chauncey Abbey (see his sketch in this volume). They have two children: Sherman A. and Florence E.

In addition to the duties of his profession and the calls upon him in the political field, he has always found time to serve his fellow-townsmen, or to labor in any movement for the benefit of Fredonia or the county. When Mr. Hooker was elected to Congress from his district, he was a member of the Board of Supervisors of Chautauqua, which position he held two years, the second time being the nominee of both the Republican and Democratic parties. In politics Warren B. Hooker has steadily supported the Republican party and its cardinal principles, while the part he has taken and the measures which he has advocated in political affairs has always met with the popular approval of his own party, and never failed to command the respect of his opponents.