My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of Wilson County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

CLARK COOK, farmer, of the Third District, was born in Lowell, Mass., November, 1832. He is the son of David and Mary (Colburn) Cook. [For further particulars of parents see sketch of Julia A. Jones, of the Tenth District.] Our subject came to Wilson County with his parents in 1841, and received his education in the Cumberland University. In 1856 he commenced clerking in a dry goods store in Lebanon. In 1858 he went to South Carolina, and from there to Alabama, where he began buying and selling carriages. During the four years of the war he was a traveling druggist dealing out medicine to the soldiers. In 1864 he clerked in a drug store in the city of New York. The following year he came to Nashville and clerked for his brother. The same year he and Mr. McCarty established a dry goods and grocery store in Lebanon, the first goods brought to the town after the war. In 1870 he went to Missouri and kept a first-class restaurant for eighteen months. In 1873 he came to Wilson County, Tenn., bought 125 acres in the Third District and began farming, which he has continued nearly ever since. January 7, 1869, he married Alice Smith, a native of Canal Dover, Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, born March 27, 1854, and the daughter of John and Annie Smith. To our subject and wife were born four children: George, Harry, David and Mary. Mr. Cook is a man of good moral character, and a useful and enterprising citizen.

* * * *

This family biography is one of the numerous biographies included in The History of Wilson County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed.  The History of Wilson County was included within The History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford & Marshall Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Beford and Marshall Counties of Tennessee

View additional Wilson County, Tennessee family biographies here

View a historic 1888 map of Wilson County, Tennessee

View family biographies for other counties and states here

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.