Wilson Cooke (1819 –1887), was an American politician, minister, and businessman. He was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives during the Reconstruction era, serving from 1868 until 1870. A historical marker in Greenville commemorates his life.[1]
Wilson Cooke | |
|---|---|
| South Carolina House of Representatives | |
| In office 1868–1870 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1819 Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | 1887 (aged 67–68) |
| Spouse | Magdalena Walker |
| Children | William Wilson Cooke |
| Parent | Vardry McBee (father) |
Biography edit
Wilson Cooke was born in 1819. His father is thought to be Vardry McBee, and his mother was enslaved.[2] Cooke was born as a slave, and bought his freedom.[when?]
He was a Methodist, and he helped co-found the Greenville Methodist Church, a Black church in 1862.[3] Cooke became a general store owner and had a tannery.[when?] He was a delegate at the 1868 South Carolina Constitutional Convention in Charleston.[3] He represented Greenville County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1868 to 1870.[4]
Cooke was married to Magdalena Walker.[5] His son William Wilson Cooke was an architect and educator,[6] who worked for the U.S. government before establishing his own practice in Gary, Indiana.[7]
References edit
- ^ "Wilson Cooke Historical Marker". hmdb.org.
- ^ Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (March 13, 2004). African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. Routledge. ISBN 9781135956295 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Huff Jr., Archie Vernon (June 13, 1995). Greenville: The History of the City and County in the South Carolina Piedmont. Univ of South Carolina Press. pp. 161–167, 171–172. ISBN 9781570030451 – via Google Books.
- ^ Freedom's Lawmakers by Eric Foner page 50
- ^ "William W. Cooke: First Black Man Employed to the U.S. Treasury Department Supervising Architect's Office". February 12, 2018.
- ^ "Cook, William Wilson". SCEncyclopedia.org.
- ^ Sisson, Patrick (2017-10-18). "A forgotten African-American architect in Gary, Indiana, illustrates a preservation gap". Curbed. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
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