Charles E. and George A. Cooke

Charles Eddy Cooke was born about 1828, in Milan, Ohio to Augustus and Mary (Eddy) Cooke. After the death of his father, he lived with his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Roswell Eddy, who were pioneer settlers of Erie County. Charles E. Cooke studied medicine briefly with Dr. Tilden. Not finding himself suited to the practice of medicine, he became a clerk in the dry goods store of Edward Everett. After learning about the dry goods business, Charle E. Cooke saved enough money to start his own dry goods store. By the mid 1860s, Charles E. Cooke and his younger brother George A. Cooke were operating a dry goods store at the northwest corner of Water Street and Columbus Avenue.

In 1866, the large building known as the Cooke Block, at the northeast corner of Columbus Avenue and Market, was purchased by the Cooke brothers. After a time, the Cooke brothers got out of the dry goods business, and devoted their time to looking after their property interests.

George A. Cooke died on May 21, 1894 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, at the age of 62. Charles E. Cooke lived to be 83 years of age. He died in Sandusky on November 6, 1909. Mr. Charles E. Cooke was known as a philanthropist, and a man “of kindly spirit.” During the funeral of Charles E. Cooke, all the businesses within the Cooke block were closed for one hour. Both George A. Cooke and Charles E. Cooke were buried in Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.