According to the book, “Manito
Park: A Reflection of Spokane’s Past”:
The last time we learned about the 1893 collapse of the
stock market and how Cook suffered the loss of his Spokane & Montrose Streetcar Company. He also lost the land
offered as collateral on the $40,000 note in a sheriff’s sale in 1895 (Superior
Court case #8425). Most of Cook’s dreams
for the future development of the Montrose/Manito neighborhood and park were
swallowed up with the loss of the land.
However, records indicate Cook made every effort to retain possession of
their elegant home by selling much of the property adjacent to the home. Sadly, their efforts were futile. In July of 1897, the house was lost to the
Provident Trust Company in another sheriff’s sale. The Montrose Park Addition’s thriving future
was not to materialize until almost a decade later. By this time, Cook was well into other
endeavors.
Francis Cook was 42 years old
when the Panic of 1893 hit. During his
lifetime, he was dogged in his efforts to achieve success. Laura Cook later wrote of her husband, “The
greater the task, the more it seemed to appeal to Mr. Cook.” His accomplishments were a better measure of
his successes than his financial struggles would reveal. Although bringing life
to the future Manito Park and surrounding area is perhaps his most popular
legacy, it would not be Cook’s only accomplishment.
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