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 Elijah Cook - Montgomery, Alabama Posted by:  xptwo
N 32° 22.775 W 086° 18.446
16S E 565146 N 3582721
Marker commemorating Elijah Cook, who was born a slave but became an educator, businessman, and lawmaker.
Waymark Code: WMCZ9N
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 10/29/2011
Views: 9
On Thursday, September 29, 2011, this historical marker was unveiled in a ceremony in Lister Hill Plaza across from City Hall in Montgomery, Alabama. Speakers noted how Elijah Cook rose from slavery to pioneering education opportunities for blacks. "City Council member Tracy Larkin called it an occasion worth celebrating, particularly because it recognized Cook's pioneering efforts toward the education of blacks in the area. Other speakers included Mayor Todd Strange and Montgomery County Board of Education President Charlotte Meadows." (from ( visit link)
Marker Name: Elijah Cook / Educator, Businessman, Lawmaker
Marker Type: Urban
Addtional Information::
The text reads:
Elijah Cook / Educator, Businessman, Lawmaker
Born a slave in Wetumpka in 1833, Elijah Cook became a leader in Montgomery's African American community. Credited with helping to establish the city's first school for blacks in the basement of the Old Ship AME Zion Church in 1865, he also selected the site for Swayne College (later Booker T. Washington School) that opened in 1868. In 1887, he assisted in posting the $10,000 surety bond to relocate the Lincoln School of Marion (later Alabama State University) to Montgomery. After serving in the legislature from 1874 to 1876, he opened an undertaking firm across from city hall in the early 1880s.
Sponsored by the City of Montgomery A
Alabama Historical Association
2011
Marker Number: Not Listed
Date Dedicated / Placed: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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