Cobb, Philip Lothrop, 1870-

Philip L. Cobb (1870-1929) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 22, 1870. His father, Caius C. Cobb, came to Cleveland in 1839 and was active for fifty years in the bookselling business, originally with Moses C. Younglove and later as partner in J. B. Cobb & Co., and Cob, Andrews & Co. His mother, Helen M. Andrews, was born in Cleveland in 1836, daughter of Edward W. Andrews, a gunsmith and early resident of Cleveland.

Philip Cobb received his early education in the public schools of Cleveland, attending Brownell, Sterling, and Central High School. He graduated at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1892, as a civil engineer. While in college he did surveying for the Lehigh Valley Railroad in New York state. From 1892 to 1896, he worked on design and construction for the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad.

He returned to Cleveland in 1897, taking a position with The Brown Hoisting Machinery Co., and then later with the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company. Cobb spent the remainder of his life in Cleveland, marrying twice - first to Vinnette Vaupel in 1899, and following her death, to Louise Bill in 1909. Philip Cobb died on August 7, 1929.

On of Philip Cobb's major interests was genealogy, and particularly that of his family. He wrote a number of books in the field, including: A History of the Cobb Family Parts I - III; A History of the Cobb Family part IV: Boston Family; A History of the Cobb Family Part V: English Wills and Genealogical Notes; The Andrews Genealogy: With Notes on the Macmillan, Pritchard, Cross and Other Allied Families; History and Genealogy of the Wells Family; Cemetery Inscriptions From Cambridge, N.Y.; Wells Family and Others; and Inscriptions in Willoughby Center Cemetery.

At least three branches of Cobbs settled in the United States; two in Massachusetts and one in Virginia. Philip Cobb's earliest American ancestor was Thomas Cobb. he was born in Oxfordshire, England, and in 1685 emigrated to Boston with his family in pursuit of religious and political freedom. He worked for a number of years as a blacksmith in Boston and then moved with his son, Robert, to Hingham, Massachusetts. Thereafter, the Cobb family quickly settled in all parts of New England.

Members of the family were involved in various American wars. In 1745, Richard Cobb fought in King William's War. Edward Cobb was a captain in the American Revolution, and his son, David, was among the forces at the battle of Lexington in 1755. Numerous members of the Cobb family also served in the American Civil War.

As the American frontier moved westward, so did the Cobb family. Today, descendants of the Cobb family are represented in states from Massachusetts to California. The Cobb family has distinguished itself in various pursuits. They have contributed much to the fields of law, literature, business, and religion, such as Calvin Cobb who owned and operated a newspaper in Boise, Idaho, and Junius Cobb who was a pioneer in the book and stationery business in Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois.

From the guide to the Philip L. Cobb Papers, 1858-1929, (Western Reserve Historical Society)