Clarke-Oconee County GaArchives News.....Around Athens (Zadock Cook) June 26 1925 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Jimmie Boyett jimmie@jboyett.com October 21, 2003, 1:06 pm Athens Banner Herald, Microfilm, UGA Library IF YOU desire any information about Athens or the country round about, use the columns of the Banner Herald and you will receive replies. Last Friday we published a small article sent us by Postmaster Smith about Zadock Cook, the first man to represent this district in congress and who lived and died near Athens. We asked the location of his farm, if he had descendants in our section, and where buried? The paper had scarcely been distributed when our phone began to ring with answers to our question. Mrs. J. P. Carter, who is a great-granddaughter of Zadock Cook, said if we would see Durham Browning, or his sister, whose mother [Nancy Cook m. Josiah Browning] was a daughter of the old statesman, they could give us all facts. WE AT ONCE caled (sic) on our friend Durham Browning. Durham said while a small boy he well remembers his grandfather; that he had been blind for some years and carried a cane with a crooked handle, and would catch his grandchildren and draw them to him with his cane. Durham said his grandfather lived about ten miles from Athens, in the section cut off into Oconee, and you can see his house from the Monroe road. It is a two-story frame building and a part of his grandfather’s farm is now owned by his grandson, J. J. Gunter, who lives in the house and keeps it in good repair. [In fact, it was J. J. Gunter’s wife Missouri Evaline Cook, daughter of David Cook who was related to Zadock. She died in 1920, before this article was written.] ZADOCK COOK was a pioneer settler of Clarke county and he thinks he came from Virginia. But he settled this farm when the country was a wilderness full of wild game. He settled in a cane brake. He first built a log house and used a sheet for a door. He afterwards established the first saw mill in this section and cut the lumber in the house and which was heart pine and is today sound. Mr. Gunter also has palings cut by his grandfather and they are sound. Zadock Cook is buried at the Jackson graveyard near his old home. The Jacksons were not related, but this burial ground was used by the early settlers. DURHAM BROWNING says Zadock Cook was an illiterate man, for in pioneer days schools were few and far apart. Until he had attained manhood he never had but two weeks’ schooling, but was a man of strong mind and educated himself. When elected to congress he traveled from his farm in Clarke to Washington City through the country in a two-wheeled rig drawn by a large bay horse. At that time he was a poor man and the first negro he owned was paid for from his salary as congressman. But at his death he was a large slave owner and planter of those days. He was a man of natural ability and had the confidence of his people who had Honored him with the highest office within their gift. WHEN THEY get the Bogart road completed we will visit the old home and grave of this old pioneer statesman. Durham Browning says he does not know the date that this old house was built, but it was the latter part of the 18th century. And this farm is still owned by descendants of the pioneer who carved it from a wilderness. Additional Comments: SURNAMES: Cook, Browning, Carter, Smith, Gants, Gunter, Jackson This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.8 Kb