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
Born1819 (1819)
Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.
Died1887(1887-00-00) (aged 67–68)
SpouseMagdalena Walker
ChildrenWilliam Wilson Cooke
ParentVardry McBee (father)

Biography

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Wilson Cooke was born in 1819, a slave. His father is thought to be Vardry McBee, and his mother was enslaved.[2]

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

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  1. ^ "Wilson Cooke Historical Marker". hmdb.org.
  2. ^ Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (March 13, 2004). African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. Routledge. ISBN 9781135956295 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Freedom's Lawmakers by Eric Foner page 50
  5. ^ "William W. Cooke: First Black Man Employed to the U.S. Treasury Department Supervising Architect's Office". February 12, 2018.
  6. ^ "Cook, William Wilson". SCEncyclopedia.org.
  7. ^ Sisson, Patrick (2017-10-18). "A forgotten African-American architect in Gary, Indiana, illustrates a preservation gap". Curbed. Retrieved 2023-02-26.