The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-05-02
CHARLES COOPER
DIED TODAY At
ROUND LAKE
Was At Head Of Bennington's
Largest Industry
WAS NATIVE OF ENGLAND
Mr.. Cooper Was 72 Years Old and
Had lIvsd In Bennington Almost
Forty Years.

bennington was shocked ana SAD
dened today by the death at Round
Lake this morning of Charles Cooper,
the head of this towns largest manu-
featuring industry and the man whose
business activities have done more to
build up Bennington than any other.
Mr.. Cooper was ~ years old and had
been in failing health for some time
but has been able to be up and around
and was not thought to be In criti-
cal condition though his family was
greatly worried at his weakened ply
steal condition during the past few
weeks.
He went Thursday to Round Lake
where he has owned cottage for
some time. He was accompanied by
his daughter, Mrs. George Smith Sod.
dard Of New York, but planned to re-
main there only short time. Death
was due TO rheumatism of the heart.
The death of no man In Bennington
could have been greater loss than
that of Mr.. Cooper He was man of
great natural force and tremendous
energy and push. Coming to this
country as a poor English boy he has
by lifetime OF hard work and con-
slant perseverance built up not only
the largest business industry in Ben
nington but one of the largest In the
state. He was the founder of the
Cooper Manufacturing company, man
ufacturers of knit underwear and al
so at the head of the Charles Cooper
needle works and factory for the man
ufacture of knitting machinery.
In spite of the cares of his large
assist In all public works. He was a
generous giver to all worthy causes
and charitable both In his public work
and In the personal, kindly way of a
Christian gentleman of broad mind
and earnest spirit. He was loved and
looked up to by his employees and
friends and always alive to their per-
s0nal welfare
He was for many years member
and official of the Methodist church
and perhaps the largest giver to its
support of any man In town. OF late
years he has taken an interest In
Christian Science but was not mem
Der Of the Christian Science church.
He told the writer within few
months that he read Christian Science
books because he believed that 1t help
ed him to be better Christian and
a better Methodist; that he had no
idea Of embracing any new faith but
that many of the tenets of Christian
Science were merely putting the doc
trines Of the Christian church into
practice and that in so far as they did
he was glad to help along the cause OF
Christian Science. Mr.. Cooper fitted
up the little Christian Science chapel
OIL Park street at his own expense for
those who were Interested In that
faith and was himself often present
mt the meetings.
Charles Cooper was native of Eng.
land, having been born In Nottingham
in 1886. His father. James N. Cooper
moved to Connecticut when Charles
was small boy. The elder Cooper
was needle maker by trade and II Il
said that he was the first man to
make spring knitting needles in
America. He established a factory a,
a village called Jorbuck In the town
OF Enfield and carried on the business
successfully until the outbreak OF the
Civil war when he enlisted In the 10th
Connecticut volunteers leaving the
business to the son, Charles. In 1866
the business was moved to Thompson
vile. From Thomps0nville he came
to Bennington In 1869 and began the
manufacture of needles In the build
ing now occupied by the Scott Ma
chine Works. Later he was associa
ted with ELI Tiffany In the manufac
ture Of fiat rib knitting machine Ii
the invention of which an elder broth
er, George Cooper, who now resides ii
Bennington, was interested. This
partnership was dissolved In 1884. IL
1892 he began turning out al his ma
chine shop the round frame knitting
machine that has been so material il
the success of the Cooper Manufac
turing company.
From his small beginning here II
1869 his business has gradually ant
steadily grown. The needle shop bus
mess alone has been doing business
of over q hundred thousand dollars
year and that was but the small par
of the Cooper products. The under
wear Hiuue ny HIS Coipdhy IL Soiu I'll
over the world where underwear |
used and the name of Charles Coope
has always been guarantee Of higl
quality and honest work.
In the family Of James N. Coope
there were six children, four daugf
tiers and two sons, all born In Ems
land. OF these Charles was next I
the youngest. The youngest daughte
was the wife of Eli Tiffany Georg
is now the only surviving member c
the family.
Mr.. Cooper leaves wife and tw
children, A. ]. Cooper of this village
and a daughter, Mrs. George s. Stot
dard OF New York.