Mrs. William G. Moorhead

Image from Sandusky Library Collections

Sarah Elizabeth Cooke was the first child and only daughter born to Eleutheros and Martha Cooke in the state of New York in 1816. The Eleutheros Cooke family moved to Sandusky, Ohio in 1819. In 1833, Sarah Elizabeth Cooke married William G. Moorhead. Mr. Moorhead was closely associated with Sarah’s brother Jay Cooke, and he became a prosperous railroad financier. The city of Moorhead was named after him for his service with the Northern Pacific Railway.

According to an article in the May 12, 1868 issue of the Sandusky Register, Mrs. Moorhead died in Philadelphia on May 11, 1868, at the age of 50. In 1927 a miniature portrait of Mrs. Moorhead was donated to the historical room of the Sandusky Library. The miniature painting may now be seen on the second floor of The Follett House Museum. An article from the June 7, 1927 Sandusky Star Journal reported that though Mrs. Moorhead spent much of her time in Europe and South America, she was so devoted to the city of Sandusky that “on her return from a long voyage, she stooped down and kissed the sidewalk, declaring that she loved every stick and stone in the town.” (In 1862 she donated a baptismal font to Sandusky’s Grace Episcopal Church. Many beautiful stained glass windows at Grace Episcopal Church were given in memory of Sandusky’s earliest residents.)

Visit the Sandusky Library and The Follett House Museum to learn more about the early residents, churches, and business of Sandusky and Erie County, Ohio. The Sandusky Library Archives Research Center is home to several church histories, county histories, historical newspapers on microfilm, and many photographs and other primary sources. Ask at the Reference Services desk for assistance.