Joel H. Cooper (Wisconsin politician) facts for kids

Joel Henry Cooper (born April 20, 1821 – died September 4, 1893) was an American doctor and pharmacist. He was also an abolitionist, meaning he worked to end slavery. Cooper was from Wisconsin. He was even a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for the Free Soil Party. His son, Henry Allen Cooper, later became a Congressman.

Joel Henry Cooper: Early Life and Career

Joel Henry Cooper was born in Windsor County, Vermont on April 20, 1821. He studied at Wesleyan University for three years, from 1840 to 1843. He left before finishing his last year.

In 1844, Cooper moved to Illinois. The next year, in May 1845, he moved to Spring Prairie, Wisconsin. There, he opened a pharmacy. He also studied medicine with a doctor named Jesse Carr Mills. Eventually, Cooper became a doctor himself and worked with Dr. Mills.

Cooper married Persi E. Allen, who was Dr. Mills' niece. Their first child, Henry, was born on September 8, 1850. Henry was their only son, and they would have six children in total.

A Doctor and Politician

In 1852, Joel Cooper became a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. He was part of the Free Soil Party. This party was against slavery spreading into new territories. He took the place of another Free Soiler, Adam E. Ray. Cooper did not run for re-election, and Oscar Bartlett, another Free Soiler, took his place.

After this, the Cooper family moved to Burlington in Racine County. There, Joel Cooper started a new medical practice and continued his pharmacy business.

Helping the Underground Railroad

The house the Coopers moved into in Burlington was special. It was built by an abolitionist named Silas Peck. The house had secret features to help it serve as a station on the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a secret network of safe houses and routes. It helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the North or Canada.

Soon after the Coopers moved in, their house was used to shelter a fugitive slave named Joshua Glover. Glover was on his way to Canada to find freedom. This shows how dedicated Joel Cooper was to the abolitionist cause. The house is still standing today.

A Public Servant and Postmaster

Joel Cooper became very active in politics in Burlington. In 1861, Abraham Lincoln appointed him as the postmaster of Burlington. A postmaster is in charge of the local post office. This was a "patronage" position, meaning it was a job given to someone who supported the winning political party.

Like many Free Soilers in Wisconsin, Cooper joined the new Republican Party when it was formed. The Republican Party was also against slavery. He held the postmaster job until he resigned in 1874.

Later Life and Legacy

Joel Cooper retired from being a doctor in the early 1880s. He passed away at his home in Burlington on September 4, 1893. He lived long enough to see his son, Henry, elected to the United States House of Representatives the year before. Henry, like his father, was also a Republican.