Cooper, Asahel Walker

Submitted by Mike Miller

Cooper, Asahel Walker, the lawyer, is a son of Asahel Walker Cooper, who was born in Lancaster county, Pa., Sept. 5, 1806, and died in New Orleans, May 22, 1883, and who was a son of a Quaker and educated in the common schools of his native state, where he learned the carpenter's trade, being bound out at the age of 17 to learn the trade in the city of Philadelphia, whence he came to New Orleans in 1830, coming by way of a sailing vessel. In New Orleans he applied himself to his trade, became a contracting architect and builder, and grew prosperous, accumulating prior to the war of secession much real estate property in New Orleans. Many buildings stand today in New Orleans as monuments to his excellent craftship as a builder. He retired from business in 1870. One of the noted pieces of property owned by Mr. Cooper was the Cooper Cotton Press, which he acquired before the war and which remained in the possession of the family until 1912, when it was sold to the Texas & Pacific. Mr. Cooper was twice married. His first wife bore the maiden name of Ann Sullivan. She died in 1870, leaving 2 daughters, Sarah Jane and Margaret Ann. His second wife he married in 1872. Her maiden name was Eliza A. Loney and she was born in the province of Ontario, Canada, of French and Irish parents. She died in 1910, leaving 1 son, Asahel Walker Cooper, who was born in New Orleans, Nov. 26, 1874, educated at Jesuit college, then took a preparatory course at Andover, Mass., and graduated from Yale college with the degree of A. B. in 1897, and in 1898 obtained his degree of LL. B. from Tulane university. He read law with the late Judge A. G. Brice and was associated with him in the practice of law until the death of Judge Brice. He now holds rank among the lawyers of New Orleans. He comes of an excellent family of New Orleans. His father was a promment citizen of this city for many years, and numbered among that class of citizens who constituted what was known as the American colony in New Orleans. The elder Mr. Cooper was reared a Quaker, but in New Orleans was identified with the Presbyterian church. The present Asahel W. Cooper adheres to the church faith of his mother--the Roman Catholic.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 108-109. Edited by Alc e Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.