Son of Henry and Elizabeth (Donaldson) Crooks, was born May 5, 1826, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1852 he went to Shasta County, California, where he engaged in mining, and then moved further north to Yreka City, where he was a United States mail contractor, and then engaged in the brokerage business, dealing in gold dust. While there he went to Oregon and fought in the Modoc war in 1857. In 1861 he engaged in staging, contracting. In 1850 he returned to Pennsylvania, and was married on the 14th day of June of the same year to Miss Ella T. Wallace, a daughter of William and Margaret (Leeper) Wallace. In 1863 he ran a provision store in Nevada, and was elected in the same year as sheriff of Siskiyou County, and was twice re-elected to the office, in a strong democratic county, although he was a republican. After his last term of office expired, in 1869, he settled up his business and went East on a visit. His next settlement was made in Davenport, Iowa, in May, 1870, where he entered the mercantile business and in 1872 moved to Dumont, where he ran a general store in connection with buying grain, he having an elevator at that place. Mr. Crook became a prominent and representative citizen of Adair County, and his fellow citizens appreciated his worth and ability. He was a stalwart supporter of the men and measures of the Republican Party and did all in his power to promote their success. In 1888, he was elected to represent Adair County in the Twenty-Second General Assembly of Iowa and faithfully labored for the interests of his constituents. In 1892, he was elected County Treasurer of Adair County.