Grace MacGowan Cooke

Grace MacGowan Cooke (September 11, 1863 – June 24, 1944) was a prolific American novelist, poet, and short-story writer. She embarked on her writing career by crafting engaging short stories and novels, often collaborating with her sister, Alice MacGowan, on many of their joint literary endeavors. Grace's literary repertoire boasted an impressive collection of over 23 novels, 75 short stories, and more than 30 poems.[1][2][3][4]

Grace MacGowan Cooke
Cooke in 1903
Cooke in 1903
BornGrace P. MacGowan
(1863-09-11)September 11, 1863
Grand Rapids, Ohio, US
Died24 June 1944(1944-06-24) (aged 80)
Los Gatos, California, US
OccupationWriter
Years active1901-1928
Spouse
William Benjamin Cooke
​
​
(m. 1887; div. 1908)​
Children2

Early years

Born in Grand Rapids, Ohio, Grace entered the world as the daughter of John Encil MacGowan (1830-1903) and Malvina Marie Johnson (1836-1896).[1] Her sibling, Alice MacGowan (1858-1947), also pursued a career as a writer. In 1865, the family relocated to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Grace and her sister received a combination of public school education and homeschooling.[5][6] Their father, a Union Army Colonel during the American Civil War, played a dual role as an editor for the Chattanooga Times newspaper from 1872 to 1903.[7][4][8]

Grace married William Benjamin Cooke (1857-1928) on February 16, 1887 in Hamilton, Tennessee. They had two children, Helen M. (1895-1945) and Katharine "Kit" (1900-1971). Helen gained recognition as an actress, particularly for her marriage to the renowned writer Harry Leon Wilson. Similarly, Kit pursued an acting career and secured roles at the Forest Theater in Carmel-by-the-Sea.[9] Grace and William went their separate ways in 1905, and it was William who ultimately filed for divorce in 1908.[10]

Career

Both Grace and her sibling were school teachers, having started their teaching profession while still in their teenage years. Following Grace's marriage to Cooke, she assumed the role of bookkeeper for the printing shop, MacGowan & Cooke, which was co-owned by her father, brother, and husband. Meanwhile, Alice continued her teaching career.[10][4]

Grace commenced her writing career as a journalist in Tennessee. In 1897, she became the first president of the Tennessee Woman's Press Club. Her debut novel, "Mistress Joy, A Tale of Natchez in 1798" (1901), marked the beginning of her published works, which were followed by a series of highly acclaimed volumes. She collaborated with her sister, Alice MacGowan, on several of these literary ventures.[11][4]

Son Riley Rabbit and Little Girl by Grace MacGowan Cooke (1907).

In 1906, Alice and Grace and her two daughters, Katherine, Helen, moved to Helicon Home Colony, an experimental community formed by author Upton Sinclair in Englewood, New Jersey.[4] During that period, Grace contributed to The Nautilus, a magazine associated with the New Thought movement. The publication focused on self-help, wellness, and popular health trends. Grace authored an article titled The Spiritual Meaning of Fletcherism (1907), delving into the concept of "Fletcherism" and its spiritual implications.[12] Grace penned the children's book Son Riley Rabbit and Little Girl in 1907, with her daughter Kit posed for the book's illustrations. In 1907, a devastating fire reduced it to ashes. Both individuals were subsequently transported to Englewood Hospital to undergo recovery and receive medical care.[13]

In December 1908, the MacGowan sisters, with Helen and Katherine, moved to the art colony at Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, which included such influential figures as Mary Hunter Austin, Jack London, Upton Sinclair, George Sterling, Francis McComas, Xavier Martinez, Sinclair Lewis, and Nora May French.[14]

Grace McGowan Cook House
The Grace MacGowan Cooke House built in 1905.

The same year, they moved into a large, Tudor-style two-story house at 13th Avenue, the second house northeast of San Antonio Avenue, one of the first homes constructed in southwest Carmel, built in 1905 by architect Eugenia Maybury, one of Carmel's first female architects. The house was located on a bluff just a block away from Carmel Beach, and that particular section of the beach became known as Cooke's Cove.[4][15][16]

The residence served as a central hub for gatherings of the Bohemian community, attracting artists and intellectuals. Additionally, Cooke's Cove emerged as a location for indulging in mussel and abalone feasts, as well as hosting picnics.[17] The home's significance is recognized by its inclusion in the Carmel Inventory of Historic Resources.[18]

The sisters avoided the lascivious activities of this Bohemian enclave because a satirical commentator from the Los Angeles Times placed Alice and Grace in the "social faction" known as the "Eminently Respectables".[19] As if to reinforce this image the Times described a 1911 Carmel Christmas party where Jack London, the MacGowan sisters, and the “diminutive dog” Fluffy Ruffles sat at the same table eating cake.[20]

In 1910, the two sisters ceased their collaborative writing efforts.[5] During that period, Grace embarked on a journey with her daughters to the Desert Southwest, conducting research on the lifestyle and traditions of the Hopi Native Americans residing in the Arizona desert. They dedicated several months in 1910 to this endeavor. The valuable insights and experiences gained from this trip were incorporated into her upcoming novel, "The Joy Bringer: A Tale of the Painted Desert" (1913). In 1910, she also wrote "The Power and the Glory," a novel exploring feminist themes and exposing the challenging working conditions prevalent in the cotton mills of the Appalachian region.[4]

In May 1914, just two months before the start of the highly publicized William Merritt Chase summer school of art in Carmel, the San Francisco press and the New York Times reported that Alice had been intentionally poisoned at her home to steal her diamonds and cash.[21][22] The respected Carmel artist Jennie V. Cannon recounted that there had been several previous attempts to murder Alice, who “was popular with everybody.” Wilson and writer Jimmy Hopper became amateur detectives, but the perpetrator was never discovered.[14]

Carmel proved to be a haven for writers, where Grace thrived and created numerous best-selling works. The collaboration between Alice and Grace continued with books like "The Straight Road" (1917) and "The Trail of the Little Wagon" (1928).[4][23] However, the onset of the Great Depression saw a decline in the popularity of their novels. During the Depression, they resided in a house in Carmel's Hatton Fields neighborhood. In 1935, they made the decision to sell their Carmel house and relocate to Los Gatos, California, accompanied by Grace's younger daughter, Katherine.[17][4]

In 1928, the Carmel Pine Cone wrote:

She helped make Carmel history and kept young doing it by turning out a string of children's books. Besides writing to make children happy she is the author of novels and mystery tales, some in collaboration with her sister, Alice MacGowan. Her verse has also been published. One of Carmel's most prolific writers. One of the few who came here to write and DID--we should add: and DOES! Mrs. Cooke came to Carmel in 1908, was first President of the Tennessee Woman's Press Club in 1897 and 1898. She has also given us Kit Cooke for which we are grateful![24]

Death

Grace, who had been a resident of Los Gatos for six years, passed away in the town on June 24, 1944, at the age of 80. Funeral services were held from the Place Funeral Home.[11][4][17]

Selected works
  • Mistress Joy, A Tale of Natchez in 1798 (1901)[23]
  • The House That Jack And Jill Built (1902)[25]
  • What Happened Then? (1902)[25]
  • A Gourd Fiddle (1904)[23]
  • Aunt Huldah, Proprietor of the Wagon-Tire House And Genial Philosopher of The Cattle County (1904)[23]
  • The Grapple: A Story of the Illinois Coal Region (1905)[23]
  • Return: A Story of the Sea Islands in 1739 (1905)[26]
  • Their First Formal Call (1906)[27]
  • Son Riley Rabbit and Little Girl (1907)[28]
  • The Spirtiual Meaning of Fletcherism (1907)[12]
  • Grace MacGowan Cooke journal, 1909-1915 (1909)[29]
  • The Side Door (1910)[30]
  • The Doings of the Dollivers (1910)[31]
  • The Power and the Glory (1910)[32]
  • The Girls of Silver Spur Ranch (1913)[33]
  • The Joy Bringer, A Tale of the Painted Desert (1913)[23]
  • William and Bill (1914)[23]
  • Sonny Bunny Rabbit and His Friends (1915)[34]
  • The Straight Road (1917)[23]
  • Wild Apples, a California Story (1918)[23]
  • The Man Behind the Mask (1927)[35]
  • The Trail of the Little Wagon (1928)[4]
  • The Fortunes of John Hawk, A Boy of Old New York 1781 (1928)[36]

References
  1. Alderman, Edwin Anderson; Harris, Joel Chandler; Kent, Charles William (1910), Library of Southern Literature: Biographical dictionary of authors, The Martin & Hoyt Company, p. 95, ISBN 0252093135.
  2. "Cooke, Grace MacGowan, 1863-1944". Library of Congress Authorities. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  3. Charles I. Switzer (2000). "The MacGowan Sisters: Early-Twentieth-Century Popular Writers". Journal of Popular Culture. Bowling Green, Ohio. 34 (1). Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  4. Dramov, Alissandra (2013), Carmel-by-the-Sea, the Early Years (1903–1913), Author House, pp. 154, 160, 215, ISBN 978-1491824146.
  5. Baym, Nina (2011), Women Writers of the American West, 1833–1927, University of Illinois Press, p. 273, ISBN 978-0252093135.
  6. "Well Known Daughters of Famous Men: clippings from the New York Evening Telegram, 1910", The Milwaukee Sentinel, New York, p. 6, October 4, 1910.
  7. Leonard, John William (1914), Woman's Who's who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914–1915, American Commonwealth Company, p. 202, ISBN 0252093135.
  8. Hartzell, John Calvin (2005), Switzer, Charles I. (ed.), Ohio Volunteer, Ohio University Press, pp. 16, 231, ISBN 0821416065.
  9. "Cooke-MacGowan. The Marriage of Wm. B. Cooke and Miss Grace MacGowan". The Chattanooga Commercial. Chattanooga, Tennessee. February 18, 1887. p. 8. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  10. "Mrs. Cooke On Motherhood". Chattanooga Daily Times. Chattanooga, Tennessee. May 10, 1908. p. 14. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  11. "Grace M. Cooke, Writer Of Fiction Passes In Los Gatos". Los Gatos Times-Saratoga Observer. Los Gatos, California. June 30, 1944. p. 1. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  12. "The Nautilus, Magazine of New Thought". E. Towne. 9–11: 18. 1907. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  13. "Sinclair Colony to try Tent Life", The New York Times.
  14. Edwards, Robert W. (2012). "Chapter Two – Western Frontiers: Birth of the Carmel Art Colony (1896–1909)". Jennie V. Cannon: The Untold History of the Carmel and Berkeley Art Colonies (PDF). Oakland, California: East Bay Heritage Project. p. 39. ISBN 978-1467545679. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  15. Dramov, Alissandra (2016). Historic Homes and Inns of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 40. ISBN 9781439656747. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  16. Dramov, Alissandra (2022). Past & Present Carmel-By-The-Sea. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 91. ISBN 9781467108980. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  17. Connie Wright (2014). "Those MacGowan Sisters and the Carmel Bunch". Stories of Old Carmel: A Centennial Tribute From The Carmel Residents Association. p. 18. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  18. "Carmel Inventory Of Historic Resources Database" (PDF). The City of Carmel. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  19. "Carmel Colony". Los Angeles Times. May 22, 1910. p. 20. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  20. "Jack London And Others Break Cake With Mrs. Hollis's Dog". Los Angeles Times. January 7, 1911. p. 5. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  21. San Francisco Examiner, 10 May 1914, pp. 1, 60.
  22. New York Times, 21 March 1914, p. III-1.
  23. Smith, Geoffrey D. (1997), American Fiction, 1901–1925: A Bibliography, Cambridge University Press, p. 432, ISBN 0521434696.
  24. "Who's Who-and Here". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. December 14, 1928. pp. 9–15. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  25. "The Delineator". Butterick Publishing Company. 60 (3). 1902. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  26. MacGowan, Alice; Cooke, Grace Macgowan (1905). "Return: A story of the Sea Islands in 1739". L. C. Page. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  27. "Their first formal call". www.worldcat.org. 1906. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  28. Grace MacGowan Cooke (1907). Son Riley Rabbit and Little Girl. Retrieved July 6, 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  29. "Grace MacGowan Cooke journal, 1909-1915". www.worldcat.org. 1909. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  30. "Everybody's Magazine". Ridgeway Company. 23: 74. 1910. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  31. Grace MacGowan Cooke (1910). The Doings of the Dollivers, The Strange Adventures of a Doll Family. Retrieved July 6, 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  32. Grace MacGowan Cooke (1910). The Power and the Glory. Retrieved July 6, 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  33. Cooke, Grace Macgowan; McQueen, Anne (1913). "Girls of Silver Spur Ranch". M.A. Donohue & Company. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  34. Grace MacGowan Cooke (1915). Sonny Bunny Rabbit and His Friends. Retrieved July 6, 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  35. Grace MacGowan Cooke (1927). The Man Behind the Mask. Retrieved July 6, 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  36. Grace MacGowan Cooke (1928). The Fortunes of John Hawk, A Boy of Old New York 1781. Retrieved July 7, 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
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