The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-06-08
r. o N T / N u E ~
from page one
A. B. Cox Is Taken
By Death; Had Been
Ill Several Months

his who died in Bismarck June 5
1927. Afte. their marriage they NOV
ed to Sanborn, in Barnes county
where Mr.. Cox became the manager
OF the Gull River Lumber company
After a few years Mr.. Cox formed a
partnership with N. j. Olson, under
! the firm name of Olson a. Cox. This
| partnership owned and maintained a
line of elevators and lumber yards in
Sanborn and other towns on the
| Northern Pacific branch between San
born and McHenry.
AS resident of Sanborn, Mr.. Cox
was active in civic affairs and for
many years was member of the
board OF trustees of the Village of
Sanborn and president of the local
school board.
AT this time he also became active
IN county and state politics. In 1896
the Republican state convention nom
mated him for member of the Board
OF Railroad Commissioners, but he de-
cllned the nomination. In 1898 he
was elected to the state senate from
Barnes county to fill out the uneX-
plred term of Frank White. later gov
ernor, who at that time left for the
Philippine Islands. He was reelected
tor a full term in 1900, but was not
candidate for reelection in 1904 as he
had moved to Fargo late in 1903. Dur
ing his membership in the state SEN
ate. Mr.. Cox was chairman of the
state affairs committee.
Entered Insurance Business
In the fall of 1908, having sold out
his interest in the Olson g. Cox part
nership, Mr.. Cox was appointed state
for the Equitable Life AS
Company of New York and
moved from Valley City to Fargo,
where the state offices of his com
pany were located. Mr.. Cox remained
as manager of this company until
1905 at which time he and his asso-
ciateS organized the North Dakota In
dependent Telephone Company. of
which he was secretary and general
manager.
Under his management a large
of the independent telephone
companies of the state were united. |
local exchanges developed and long
distance lines built from Fargo as far /
west as Mandan. At the time of the ,
sale OF the North Dakota Independent
to the Northwestern Bell
Company there were ap-
100 local exchanges and
several thousand miles of long dis
tance transmission lines included in
these properties,
In 1908, having disposed of his in
terest in the company. MI. Cox be-
came associated with the late George
VI. Young and others in the develop i
nent Of telephone properties in the
Province of Saskatchewan, Canada.
He was in active charge of these prop
critics for several years until the
Province of Saskatchewan purchased
hem. For a year subsequent to sale
% the government, Mr.. Cox suparvis-
ID the construction of exchanges and
ong distance lines in the Province of
for the government.
Returned to Valley City
In 1912 he became active in the
of the Northern Seed (
Company at Valley City, and also the
;ox-Nelson company, dealing in farm {
Implements and hardware at Court {
nay and Kensal in Stutsman county !
nd Sutton In Griggs county. In 1916 {
Re disposed of these latter interests
ogether with his farm holdings and
levoted his entire time to the affairs
I the Northern Seed company. locat-
d at Valley City, in which city he
made his home with his family from
905 until 1921. In 1921 he moved {
0 Bismarck, where his sons were To-
ated, and became private secretary
0 Governor r. A. Nestos. He remain
d as secretary to Governor Nestos !
ntil the completion of the latter's
erm of office and then became man.
ger of the Farms Lands Sales and {
lental Department of the Bank of {
forth Dakota. i
Mr.. Cox was lifelong member of
he Masonic Lodge and was member
I the FL Zagel Shrine of Fargo.
He leaves two sons, Edward B. Cox [
nd Gordon v. Cox, who reside in Bis /
1arck. He also has living two broth [
RS and one sister, all of whom reside i
4 Truro. Nova Scotia.
rxannsrsxx am v.,~~ v,..